


Lost Cause

by mistyhollowdrummer



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, Did I say lots of angst?, Lots of Angst, M/M, Mentions of Character Death, Mentions of Rape, Mentions of attempted suicide, Multi, Read at Your Own Risk, Yaoi, mentions of child abuse, mentions of self harm, no seriously, other parings - Freeform, riren - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2017-02-25
Packaged: 2018-02-20 16:57:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 49
Words: 226,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2436122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mistyhollowdrummer/pseuds/mistyhollowdrummer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU:Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. Trigger warning!<br/>(On Hiatus)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. My Name is...

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so just picture every trigger warning in the world belonging to this fanfic. I don't even want to say some of the triggers because I am so ashamed of them. U_U Not to mention that there's multiple pairings and you'll end up hating me for this story when it's over... Trust me.
> 
> However, here is my new story! I actually really like the plot despite how harsh it is, and I find one of my own stories interesting for once. XD I really hope you like it too!

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 1: My Name is…**

* * *

This was not a situation he approved of.

Music pounding, lights blaring into his narrow eyes, the heat of the room unbearable, and he was dressed rather appropriately for it too. People were close, too close, bumping, grinding, and dry humping each other with no decency or respect for themselves or the people around them.

"Ignore them, Levi…" The older man lifted his head, looking up at the taller woman standing next to him, equally dressed for the occasion in thigh high boots, too short shorts, a crop top, and her hair pulled back in a ponytail, per the usual. She had her hands on her hips, an approving smile on her face as she looked about the rowdy crowd with interest. "They aren't like you and I. They are people trying to escape the worlds they live in."

"You seem to play the part better than I," Levi spoke up louder than his usual tone, but only to speak over the blaring music. He couldn't handle that, nor the heat, and he pushed his bangs back to relieve some heat, or at least to stop the sheen of sweat from dripping down his skin.

"I've done this more than you." She said and rolled her shoulders around.

"Yes, but not for work." Levi corrected. "Erwin says you frequent this place often. Is that how you found out about the prosti-"

"Come dance with me." The woman suddenly interrupted him, grabbing his arm and yanking him to the dance floor.

"H-Hanji!" He griped, but the taller woman didn't listen. Once on the floor, she was as close to him as everyone was to their "toys," her back to his chest and her hips rolling in a way he hadn't seen from her before. It was no turn on; oh hell no, not to him, and definitely not from her, but it was surprising. Sure, she was an eccentric person, but that only went so far in work.

The woman was moving in a way he hadn't seen from her before, and it was truly surprising. Of course, he was supposed to put on a show, make this look real, but how? Even for someone like him this was uncomfortable, a totally new environment and situation. He'd only seen situations like this in movies and on television, but those situations were blown way out of proportion. However, seeing everyone around him reenacting everything he had ever seen before on TV said something.

With a low growl, Levi placed his hands on her hips, swaying his own back and forth, though stiffly and in a way that indicated he was being forced into this. This was not something he cared for, not in the least. Hanji reached behind her head, leaning down so her head was against his shoulder. She threaded her fingers through the longer wisps of his hair and pulled, bringing his head close so she could press her lips against his ear.

"Five months ago, this became a playground for a new group of prostitutes. Three new teens were introduced to it, and they've been working here since. Mike wasn't aware of the exchanges at first, but he caught on by the scents soon enough. You saw the reports yourself."

"Yeah, I saw them." Levi now understood her intentions.

Hanji brought them out onto the dance floor where the music was the loudest. Even if they were yelling, no one would ever hear them. They had to dance to play the part, but no one would ever hear what it was they were discussing.

"Because of Mike and Moblit, we got pictures too. There's two boys and one girl, and you should know the girl. After running the pictures through the scanners, we came up with three of them: Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman, and Eren Jaeger. Went missing three years ago after a house fire that killed Eren's mother. The father disappeared and hasn't been seen since, but was pronounced dead after the search was stopped. Mikasa Ackerman was adopted by the Jaeger's after her parents were murdered, and Armin Arlert was there that night for a sleep over with his friends. They were originally thought to have died in the fire, but after this, we know they're alive."

"You mean there were bodies for them?" Levi didn't react at all to the mention of the girl.

"Three bodies for teens, but something was off with the bodies to begin with. They never came up matching their faces, but the coroners said their bodies were too burnt to say for sure."

"Someone replaced them." Levi interpreted as he spun Hanji around so she could stand face to face to him.

"I'm sure they were, and the kids they brought in were alive when the house was on fire. This was all too thought out, too planned."

"Someone wanted them." Levi mumbled, more to himself than anyone else.

"Huh…?" Hanji asked and held her hand up to her ear. Levi rolled his eyes before turning the woman around again and pressing close to her.

"Why was the mother killed?"

"No idea. The father went missing though, and I have a feeling that since he was never found, he went into hiding. I think someone wanted  _him_ , and they set the house on fire to kill her, took his kids and used them for compensation."

"Look how well that turned out." Levi said. "What about Ackerman's parents, her mother? What was their deal?

"Three men wanted to sell the mother in human trafficking for her Asian origins, but she fought back to save her daughter after her husband was killed, and they killed her by accident. Mikasa was kidnapped, but Eren somehow found her and saved her life. He took two of their lives, and Mikasa took another to get free."

"At  _fifteen_?" Levi inquired, eyebrows raised.

"At eight. She was taken in by them after Eren saved her."

"Are you telling me they were eight years old when they killed people?"

"Mikasa is older by a few months. Eren was seven years old, turning eight in a month."

"Fuck, that's messed up." The older man mumbled. Hanji spun around once more, chest pressed into his as she wrapped her arms around his hips and ran her fingers over his sides.

"They're supposed to be here tonight." She said and looked past the rim of her glasses.

"If that was three years ago, the kids are old enough now to be charged with prostitution themselves." Levi explained.

"Not necessarily. Armin is the youngest between the two, putting him at seventeen. He turns eighteen in three days, so we need to find them and get them the hell out of here." Hanji pulled Levi forward, nearly pressing their lips together, but her lips just barely skidded across his cheek to his ear. "I hear Mikasa and Eren's roles are reversed. Eren goes after guys while Mikasa goes after girls. That's our job tonight."

"And Arlert…?"

"He's the youngest. I'm assuming the two are protecting him to their extent, maybe making more money to compensate for him so he doesn't have to do anything and then lying about it to their pimps." Hanji explained, her eyes beginning to scan across the dozens of people in the room.

"Why do that…?"

"He's the baby. After reading more into their lives, I found out that Eren was constantly in trouble while he was in school. He fought off a bunch of bullies to keep Armin safe, meaning he was constantly suspended, even through middle school. When Mikasa came along, people tended to run from her, but shit still happened even when she was there, and she was constantly seen by Eren's side. If Eren was by Armin, then so was Mikasa."

"Do you think it'll be the same here…?"

"It's an older sibling doing anything to protect their younger one, even if Armin isn't a part of their family. Look at all of the shit they've been through. They'll be closer than any sibling related by blood. They'll have to separate for work, but they'll keep him as safe as possible. He may just be a wall flower standing around while they do their work, and he may promote them. I'm assuming that Mikasa will keep her eyes on Eren too if she's protective of him. She's the oldest after all."

"So we need to get them separated."

"What we should do is go after Armin. If I'm right and he's going to stand around, he's easiest to get to, probably the one to break easily or break down and lose it. Even if they're protecting him, if we separated Eren from him, Mikasa will follow."

"And that's where I come in." Levi grumbled. Hanji once again made a motion that she didn't hear his quiet voice, and Levi simply growled low before turning the two to switch their positions. Levi could see in the direction Hanji was seeing while Hanji saw in his, and it was only because Levi was shorter than her. She could cover areas that he couldn't, which was seriously annoying to him.

"You still remember what they look like?" Hanji asked against his ear. Levi nodded his head, saving his voice for when he needed it most. "Brown hair, green eyes, tan skin. Eren right?"

Hearing this, Levi turned around in her arms, his grey eyes glancing around where her vision was. Sure enough, there they were.

The three of them were just walking in, dressed up in outfits that were only appropriate for someone of his or Hanji's age, not theirs. The only girl with them must have been Mikasa, dressed in shorts that looked more like underwear than shorts, and a strapless top that left nothing to the imagination. Eren must have been the brunette that Hanji was talking about, though it was dark where they were standing. However, the little blond clinging to his side didn't look much like an Eren, and if his attitude and behavior was anything to go off of, he had to be Armin. Eren was obviously hiding his thin form from the wandering eyes trying to see his legs behind the too small shorts. His sweatshirt was made for the size of a giant, going down to his knees and unzipped to show how thin he was, and it was frightening to say the least how small he really was. Obviously it was a tactic of his, looking so innocent and breakable like any pervert would want, but his siblings were there for him.

And then there was Eren. Eren was a different case entirely, dressed rather casually, but enough to fit the crowd. His legs were fully covered by tight, black jeans that sat low on his hips. His shirt was black, a normal short sleeved t-shirt that was tucked in under the hem of his jeans. His appearance was more normal than the other two, but this had to be something they worked with. Was it possible that he was dressing this way more for the form of a body guard than a prostitute?

"Look," Hanji mumbled beside his ear, but it was still heard over the loud base. Levi watched as the three exchanged words, and Armin was nodding his head silently. He leaned against the wall closest to him, his arms falling behind his back and his legs extending out. Levi noticed the thigh high boots he was wearing, accentuating the curves in his body meant to mimic a girl's hourglass form. For a kid his size and age, he actually had some decent legs to him, but that was more so the boots than his actual legs. Eren pressed a hand against Armin's shoulder, mumbling something quietly to him. Armin nodded his head, and the two siblings then walked away.

Hanji nailed it.

"First we separate Mikasa and Eren, then, while you take care of Eren, I'll handle Armin."

"And Ackerman…?" Levi questioned.

"If we've got Eren and Armin, she has to give up. If she wants them safe, she'll follow along, but she'll be tricky. Watch out for her." After that, Hanji separated from Levi, disappearing into the crowd to begin her job. Levi sighed before his eyes followed the two teens, watching the way Mikasa stood close to Eren's side. Despite her closeness, however, the two acted as if they had never met each other. It must have been because of their looks, of how they easily could have pulled off being together had they tried.

They were dressed enough to play the parts, but it was for their jobs, not for themselves.

"Okay…" Levi mumbled and cleared his throat. He maneuvered his way off of the dance floor, eyes holding onto the two teens until he noticed them separate with a few small words. Mikasa sauntered her way onto the dance floor, but her black eyes were trained on Eren. Eren looked around the club, eyes looking for his next line of work before he slowly moved to the bar not far away. "Perfect…"

He considered this good in a number of ways. If the kid were to drink, well, all the more easy to catch him. If he sat there, he had his eyes on both of his siblings, knowing who they'd be dealing with, knowing if Armin was getting either of them service, and he had his chances of observing any drunks he could take for a joy ride.

Levi had to admit that he was impressed. They had everything worked out, down to the tinniest of details to keep each other safe. They were like a network, everything working like clockwork, pieces fitting together perfectly so their jobs could be done and they could continue living on another day with the hopes of food in their bellies. They had everything set up perfectly, and even though Hanji was able to read their plans, it was still impressive.

It would make this job all the more interesting.

Levi followed Eren closely, but not so close to raise suspicions. Eren took up a seat at the bar, waving down the bartender to get a drink. That's when Levi moved in.

"Blue moon please," Eren's voice was smooth, charming even though he was only asking for a pretty heavy drink, and deceiving all on its own, but Levi could hear the remnants of childhood still lingering behind the tone.

"Make it two," Levi announced behind him and took a seat beside the teen. Eren looked over with a sneer, green eyes wide and questioning as Levi settled beside him. "I'll pick up the tab."

Levi gave an all knowing look towards the bartender, towards  _Mike._  Mike's eyes narrowed as he cleaned out a glass with a rag in his hands, but within a moment, his nose twitched and he shook his head.

" _Good, the kid hasn't done anything yet."_  Levi thought to himself and looked over at Eren.

"That's nice of you." Eren said softly, turning in his seat to face the older man who had offered to buy him his drink.

"Not a problem." Levi could see the way Eren's big eyes were already eyeing him up and down, determining if Levi was worth the time to earn the money. Any money was good money, but the kid probably wanted a lot more than what most people had.

"Do I get a name from you? I at least deserve one so I can thank you properly." Oh yes, he was charming indeed. The way his voice was smooth, teasing in a way, was easy to pull any man to him in a deceiving rope. The kid was good, meaning he had done this over and over again. He must have already had Levi pinned down too.

He was stuck up, tight, and unwilling to break. However, after a few drinks, he'd loosen up, and that's when Eren would work to earn his pay.

"It's Charles," Of course he wasn't stupid. He wasn't going to give his real name out to some kid who could easily mess with his life.

"Well then thank you for the drink, Charles. I'm Eren. It's nice to meet you." Although, Levi truly wondered why the kid would give out his real name. Was it possible that he had no choice? Was it so people could meet up with him again? If that was the case, then he wasn't only working at this club, but working outside of it as well.

He didn't have a choice, did he? No, of course he didn't.

"Nice to meet you as well, Eren." Levi said and looked around. Mike was taking care of others, but one pointed look told him to get his job done fast. "You know, Eren, you look pretty damn young to be in a club like this, let alone drinking such a heavy drink."

"You look pretty young yourself." Eren countered with as he turned back into his seat to rest his arms against the bar, back slightly arched in an alluring way. Oh, if only the kid knew. "Nah, I just turned twenty one. Thought I'd try out the big, bad world."

"Enjoying it so far?" Levi inquired.

"Not bad, not bad. Not all that exciting yet, so I'm not entirely impressed." Eren leaned forward slightly, watching as Mike brought back the drinks they had ordered. He handed Levi his first, and Levi was quick to notice that his drink was just water with some dyes in it to keep his head clear. Eren's had to be real, only because the kid would suspect him if it wasn't. The kid probably knew his alcohol by now, and that was sad all on its own. Then again, Levi had been drinking by the age of fourteen, so who was he to talk?

"Well then, happy twenty first, Eren." Levi said and lifted his glass. Eren lifted his as well to clink the glasses together before he nodded his head and took a sip. He watched Eren carefully, watching as Eren made sure just by the taste that nothing was wrong with the drink. Obviously he knew  _well._

"Thank you," Eren said and set the drink down.

"So, twenty one and not enjoying the good life?" Levi asked while setting his drink down on the counter.

"Nah, not much. It's nice, the music and stuff, but I just thought there would be more energy."

"This isn't enough?" Levi questioned, truly taken aback by Eren's words. Maybe it was just him, but this was a lot of energy to him. Maybe that was just because he was getting there in the years.

"Well, not really. You always see in those rated R movies how everything is so perverted, people always hooking up, having sex, and then forgetting their names the next morning." Eren spoke with a laugh to his smooth tone, like what he "saw" in the movies was always true. "I guess I thought it'd be more like that."

"Are you saying that's the life you're looking for? You actually want something like that to happen?"

"Depends on how drunk I get…" The words were barely mumbled under Eren's breath, obviously intended for Levi not to hear him, but he heard him anyway. "I don't know. I've never done anything _that_ crazy before, and I guess I'm just "asking for it" as one would say."

"That's pretty dangerous stuff you're saying, kid." Levi muttered as he took another sip of his drink.

"Hey, I'm twenty one. I am  _not_  a kid." Eren scoffed.

"I guess to me you are."

"Why, how old are you?" Eren asked, glass cup to his lips as he looked over him with glassy eyes.

"How old do I look?" Levi asked with a side smirk. Eren hummed to himself, barely scooting closer within his own chair.

"Well, I was told take away five years to be polite, so I'm going to guess… Twenty four."

"Not even close."

"Huh…?"

"Go up."

"Uhm… I don't know. How old are you?"

"I think I'll keep that a secret." Levi said and took another sip of his drink. Eren rolled his eyes before turning in his seat to look at him.

"Now you're just teasing me."

"Oh really…?"

"Yes really. I'm trying to get to know you better, but you won't let me in."

"And why would you like to know more about me?" Levi asked. Eren looked away, shrugging his shoulders with a nervous grin on his cheeks.

"I don't know…"

"Wait… Are you actually hitting on me…?" Levi asked incredulously, but he was only acting.

The kid was good, he'd give him that. His game was to play like it wasn't his intention at all, that it was just the heat and the alcohol. However, he didn't know that Levi was completely level headed and sober, that the alcohol had been fake, if not that then a little disgusting. He was sure his tongue was going to be blue later.

"Ah, maybe it's just the drink." Eren suggested and leaned back to rest against the counter, but not without arching his back again to accentuate the natural curve to the small of his waist and lower back.

"Well, maybe it is…" Levi muttered and took a rather large gulp from his drink. The shit was disgusting. "And maybe I might be interested." He said while looking out the side of his eyes. He saw the way the brunette's eyes glinted quickly.

Got him.

"Are you now…?" Eren raised his eyebrows as if he wasn't at all planning any of this.

"Well it's not like you wouldn't dislike it. It  _was_  what you were hoping for." Levi openly mocked, but the kid didn't seem offended.

"Yeah, I know… Ah, but I can't." Eren said and rubbed the back of his neck. "Man, I can't afford stuff like that."

"Afford what, sex?" Levi asked.

"Well, not that. I-I mean like, I can't afford something like a sexual disease ruining my life. I've got school and bills to pay. It just wouldn't work out in my favor." Eren sighed as he carefully set his drink aside.

"Yet you can afford to come here and dance." Levi commented, watching Eren sneer at the disparaging remark. Levi sighed, knowing he had to get the kid to go with him. It wasn't easy though. This wasn't something he did on a regular occasion  _obviously._  "Alright, so I'll work with you here. I'm obviously a little drunk now, so we can work with this."

"Oh…?" He was definitely good.

"Yeah, and I know you're pretty bad yourself, so don't try throwing this in my face. How about I give you compensation for tonight, so if something happens, you have the money to pay for medical bills."

"And if something didn't happen?" Eren asked while scooting closer again. "What would happen with your money if I didn't get sick?"

"Keep it. I've got a good job, lots of money, and I don't really do anything with it." Levi waved a hand around like it was nothing. "Then you could use it for school or whatever other shit you want to get."

"Huh… Psh, but paying for sex? That sounds like prostitution or something."

"Not if anyone didn't know…" Levi mumbled. Eren leaned his shoulder against Levi's, his head leaning on top of his. His hand lifted up to touch Levi's, his fingers running against his skin softly in a way that was somewhat surprising. The kid was good at being gentle despite his profession.

"Well… H-How much would you be willing to pay me?" Eren asked in a mumble. Levi remained quiet as he pulled out his wallet and looked around inside. He fished out the first hundred dollar bills he could find, having been given them from his boss for this operation beforehand. He had six of them, and after holding them up for the brunette, he could have laughed at how wide those green eyes could get.

"Do you think this is enough?" He asked the teen.

"Ah, y-yeah, I think so, but that's a bit of money, don't you think?" Levi could tell that the kid was trying his best not to snatch out for the money and take it. With what he did for a living, this must have been a lot of money compared to what he usually made.

"Like I said, I have a lot that I never use, and you can use it for school. So do we have a deal?" Levi asked and offered the money to him. Eren took it, his hands actually shaking as he pulled the money away. Levi must have truly made his day.

"Y-Yeah, sure. Uhm… So, now?"

"Well, I guess that would be a good place to start." Levi said and forced a small chuckle.

"Okay, so now we just need a quiet place to go." Eren mumbled and looked back to the dance floor.

"Yeah, not out there. Although I think no one would hear us." The older man openly joked.

"Yeah, I know that. I think I know a better place though. I heard that the club has private rooms. I mean… That's a place to start if that's true, right?" Eren was doing pretty well acting innocent, but Levi knew better. The kid knew this place perfectly, knowing  _exactly_  what he was doing.

"Well if they do, we'll go there. You can keep that tucked away."

"Are you sure?" Eren asked.

"Yeah, come on." Levi said and stood up from the bar. Eren followed closely, keeping a hand on Levi's to be guided through the crowds around them still dancing with no cares in the worlds. Levi kept his eyes open, looking for the black haired Asian that was Eren's adopted sister, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. She was either in hiding or with a client, and he was hoping for the latter option. If she was preoccupied, that meant that Armin would be able to be caught, and then Levi could deal with Eren.

The plan would work out accordingly, just like Erwin and Hanji had said, and then Mikasa would follow with no choice but to worry about her brothers. They'd get them out, and hopefully they'd get the bastards who kidnapped them and forced them into these terrible lives arrested and thrown in jail for the rest of their miserable lives.

After maneuvering through the crowds, Eren began leading Levi more than Levi was "supposed" to lead him. Eren knew exactly where he was going, so Levi didn't question a damn thing, not even when they walked up a set of stairs to find the rooms he had been talking about. No one was out in the hallway, so Levi considered that a good thing as the two of them made their way to a vacant room.

Levi would pretend that he couldn't hear what was going on behind the other doors.

Eren walked first into an empty room, Levi following close behind and closing the door behind him. Eren walked further into the room, inspecting the furniture and walls with mild interest before turning his attention back to Levi.

"So… What is it you're actually interested in?" Eren asked with a small laugh.

"If you're wondering about the four play, we can work with it. I don't really appreciate casual sex with all of the fun stuff skipped." Levi said and shrugged off his vest.

"Good, I'm not the type of person for that kind of stuff either." Eren said and looked away when Levi popped the first few buttons on his shirt open.

"Don't tell me you're nervous." Levi remarked while stopping from unbuttoning his shirt. "I thought you  _liked_ this kind of stuff?"

"I'm not nervous. I'm just trying to get myself together." Eren said as Levi walked closer to him. He had to play the part of drunk if he wanted to get this kid out of this situation, which didn't make much sense. He was the one putting him in it at the moment.

"Sure you are," Levi muttered before placing his hands on the kid's hips. Damn, he was _thin._  This wasn't right for someone barely eighteen years old.

"Psh, I'm fine,  _old man_." Eren remarked with a grin. Levi pretended not to hear that comment (though he preferred it to something relating to his height), before pulling himself up close to Eren's height and kissing his lips.

He really didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. He didn't like having to kiss a teen; no. He didn't like having to kiss a damn  _baby_. He didn't like having to place his hands on the kid's waist and pushing them under the edge of his shirt, trying to seduce him long enough for Hanji to catch his blond friend and his sister. He didn't like it, but he had no choice. If it meant the kid would get out of this alive, maybe get his life together and be able to live the rest of his life out in peace (and there was so much of it to live), he had to do this. If it meant giving him another chance, then he needed to suck it up and deal with it.

Well, it could have been worse. The kid could have sucked at kissing. He could have been less tempting, or maybe he could have sucked at the small, soft touches he placed against Levi's arms, almost timid in a manner.

Levi found himself quite enticed by the little brat. It definitely could have been worse for sure, but he was surprised to find himself not complaining. He moved forward a little, pressing into his lips even more as his hands found his hips. He felt Eren's lips move, his head tilting to the side to avoid their noses bumping. His skin was smooth, his lips softer than Levi had originally predicted, and he had to reprimand himself for thinking that way.

Eren's arms wrapped around Levi's shoulders, his body pressing into his. Damn him for his height, but it didn't seem to upset Eren any. He tangled his fingers into the loose belt loops on his pants and pulled, bringing their bodies close so they could press together.

Truly, what was he thinking? And what was this brat thinking? Why was he already so aroused? Was he hoping for this to be over as soon as possible?

Levi had to stop losing track of the situation at hand. While he hated doing this, he needed to focus, and what he needed to focus on was this kid and his lips.

His soft, warm lips that were practically drowning him. Eren's lips parted on a nearly silent gasp, and Levi's tongue unconsciously darted out to lick at his lips. The smallest of sounds left Eren, maybe a moan or a whimper; Levi wasn't sure. He moved to kiss him again, but this time it was more.

With mouths open, teeth clinked together as their tongues began a sensual dance. Levi could taste the alcohol on the kid's lips and tongue, and  _damn,_  he shouldn't have been aroused by that. He shouldn't have been feeling warm, especially when Eren's hand moved under his shirt, his cold fingers touching his stomach. His fingers moved higher, curious and ginger, and Levi parted before pulling at his arms, moving him back towards the bed.

He wasn't going to let this kid get the best of him. Surely a kid wouldn't get under his skin, and he would make sure of it.

He turned them, making sure Eren's back was facing the bed before lightly pushing at his chest. Eren's knees hooked over the edge before he leaned back and fell against the bed. As soon as his back was against the mattress and duvet, Levi sat in between his legs, his knees sitting on either side of the kid's long legs that were wrapped around him.

"Are you sure about this, kid?" Levi asked, looking down into dark green eyes that widened in surprise.

"What…?" Eren asked, his hands stalling before they could reach for Levi's hips.

"I may be drunk, but I'm not that drunk. If you want to back out now, I'm sober enough to let you go." Levi sat back, trying to avoid Eren's advances while he still had the chance. The kid had the chance to back down if he truly wanted to. Levi was giving him the opportunity to, and judging by the kid's reaction, no one had ever allowed that for him.

So he would be the first, and he hoped the kid would back out, and he hoped that this could end quietly. However, that didn't seem to be what Eren wanted. He sat up on one elbow, his free hand extending out and snatching the collar of Levi's shirt. One good, hard yank pulled Levi down with him, and Eren's lips barely missed their mark, catching at the side of his mouth before fixing that little mistake and kissing him fully on the lips.

Levi could have scoffed if his mouth wasn't being occupied by the brat. Eren was challenging him, wasn't he? The kid was testing him, because Eren hadn't been treated with respect before, hadn't ever been asked what  _he_  wanted and not what someone else wanted. It must have been unsettling for him, and he was just looking for someone to take advantage of him, to feel some sense of normalcy between the two. It was sickening in its own way, but Levi was reminded that he had a job to do, and in order to do that job, he needed to get this kid out of this situation.

Just a little longer. He needed to keep telling himself that. Just a little longer stalling him, and then it'd be over.

So with that thought in mind, he simply continued kissing the brat, his hands pressing into his chest and waist and hips, wherever they could reach to keep the kid distracted. Eren's arms looped around his shoulders, his fingers carding through his hair, feeling the transition of his undercut to the short wisps of black hair. He pulled, and Levi had no choice but to put his weight against the kid, not with the way Eren kept pulling him forward.

That was when he felt the hardness within Eren's tight jeans pressing into his thigh.

Eren sighed against his lips, his head lolling back when Levi tried readjusting his position so he wasn't against him, but that only pressed his knee further against the boy. His hips rolled, his legs trying to wrap around his hips, trying to find more friction, and Levi had to bite his lip to keep from barking at him in panic.

Eren was getting far too into this, and Levi needed to put a stop to this before things got out of hand. In this position, it was so easy for Eren to find the gun hidden away on his person, and he couldn't let that happen. He might as well blow the whole operation before it even really began. Levi wouldn't let that happen,  _wouldn't_  let that happen. He hadn't come this far just to fail.

Eren suddenly moaned, his hips grinding against Levi's and yanking him from his thoughts. Levi felt his body go numb, his mind going blank, but kept just one goal in mind. He pressed his lips against Eren's neck, sucking on the skin hard enough to leave a bruise. It was enough to make Eren turn his head away, his brunette hair falling in front of his closed eyes as he focused on the sensation.

Fully distracted, Levi reached back to grab at Eren's leg and hook it against his waist. Like this, he could reach into his pocket and pull out the handcuffs he'd kept hidden away without Eren noticing. His other hand moved to unwrap one of his arms from his shoulder and weave their fingers together. The touch was intimate as he pulled away from his neck, but it was enough of a distraction to pull his arm above his head, close enough to the bed post.

Eren barely opened his eyes before he felt the cold metal against his wrist, heard the clicking of one of the handcuffs around him. He looked up before he had time to pull his other arm away, and his free hand suffered the same fate, being locked up in cuffed that were linked around a small bed post.

"H-Hey-!"

"Keep it quiet, Eren." Levi commanded as he sat back.

"I'm not into this kind of crap, you piece of shit!" Eren practically hollered as he kicked and thrashed beneath Levi.

"Stop it! I'm trying to help you!" Levi hissed as he grabbed at Eren's legs that were trying to kick him away. One kick nearly landed at his shoulder, but Levi was glad he was born with fast reflexes, or that would have ended up worse than it was, but it was over quickly. Eren paused, completely frozen by Levi's words. Levi didn't realize his mistake until the words had already left his lips, but he saw the realization dawn on Eren just by the look that fell over his face.

" _Mikasa!"_  He cried out in panic and began thrashing within the older man's grasp. Levi was ready to cover his mouth, to stop him from altering anyone that Levi was there with these intentions, but there was the faintest sound of a click from a door behind him.

Levi turned around to see the source of the sound, but even someone with the best reflexes in the world couldn't prepare themselves for the sudden hit to his head. Levi was out cold after that, the world around him dark for only a few moments. He knew only a few, because his eyes opened to the panicking teens still around him. Everything was muffled, his head was aching with pain, and was that blood dripping over his eyes?

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine!"

"That fucking bastard…" Levi could barely make out what was happening around him, though he could still see some things, like the two teens as they tried to get Eren free from Levi's trap, or the heavy, metal lamp post leaning on the edge of the bed, the tail end of it covered in his blood. Had she really used the end of a lamp to knock him unconscious?

"Armin, hurry up!"

"I'm trying!" Why was Arlert here all of a sudden? Had they all followed Eren? Where was Hanji then? She was supposed to be watching Armin and Mikasa. "Pardon me, sir." Armin mumbled, quickly noticing that Levi was barely awake.

His hands were against him, feeling around his pockets and touching for something. He quickly pulled out the gun he found sitting under the rim of Levi's pants, then went for the ID hidden away right beside it.

"Fucking hell…" Eren cursed and yanked at the cuffs. "Where are the keys?"

"Right here," Armin said as he pulled the keys out from Levi's back pocket. He tossed them to Mikasa who was quick to get Eren out of the cuffs. While Mikasa busied herself with that, Armin started looking at Levi's ID, and to the older man's unfortunate luck, his badge. "E-Eren, he's a cop!"

"What…?" Eren asked in shock, his hands finally being released.

"That means the woman was too," Mikasa hissed under her breath. Levi tried moving, but his body felt so heavy, as if he weighed all of the world's lead production.

What did Mikasa mean about the other woman? She was referring to Hanji, wasn't she? What had they done with Hanji?

"Shit, this is messed up." Eren hissed under his breath as Mikasa took the ID from the blond. She looked over it, and Levi would have outwardly cursed if he could. He saw the look come across her face, her doll-like features becoming confused as she read over his name again and again. Confusion and more confusion, and then anger.

Mikasa took up the lamp she had hit him with earlier and lifted it. Levi closed his eyes, prepared for the bludgeoning to begin, but it never came.

"Mikasa no! It's enough already that you hit an officer with that! You can't kill him too!" Armin sat in front of Levi, his arms up and keeping Mikasa from lashing out at him.

"Watch me!"

"No, let's just go home, okay? I don't want to be here anymore," Armin begged the elder sibling, his hands reaching up to take the bloody object from her. Mikasa's arm fell loosely by her side, a look of disgust on her face, but whether it was directed to him or Armin, Levi couldn't be sure. Instead of attempting to kill him (And Levi needed to remember to thank Armin one day if he didn't bleed to death), Mikasa pushed Levi's ID into Eren's chest and stormed off. Levi didn't see which direction she walked off too; all he could do was watch as Armin stood up off of the bed, his knees covered in blood and staining his shorts as he stood by Eren.

Eren's eyes were looking over the ID though, and for a moment, he was completely apathetic, his expression distant. What was he thinking? Levi could only wonder. Soon enough, however, his question was answered.

Eren scoffed while pocketing the ID into his jeans. He picked up the badge Armin had left on the bed and pushed it close to Levi's face, and all Levi could do was manage a tired frown.

"I knew you weren't a  _'Charles'._ " He quipped, leaning down so he could meet his cold, but sleepy gaze. "You better be careful, Officer Levi Ackerman. Our boss doesn't like it when his best are messed with."

Was that a threat? Now that Eren had his ID, it was the worst case scenario. Levi wanted to panic more, to reach out and throttle Eren for messing with him when he was only trying to save the kid's life, but he was so tired. So,  _so tired_. He wanted to be more concerned, but how could he?

Right now, all he wanted to do was sleep.


	2. It Takes a Great Mind...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okidoki, really quickly before we go, I gots to say somethinz~
> 
> Okay, so I was writing a later chapter to this, and as I was writing it, I thought, "... Damn, this is seriously harsh." Like, this is the "worst" writing I've done, because it's so descriptive, so detailed, and it's painful for me to even write let alone read. It's hard to read even for me, and I'm the one who wrote it. So as to say now, I want to say that the rating means 18+! Please, I know some of you won't listen to me, but this fanfic is rated M for seriously descriptive things and sexual content, and I don't want any underage people reading this. Yes, even at seventeen. Rules stand. The reason why is because there are so many trigger warnings, and they are serious. It's a harsh story, and if you continue to read it, you're going to find that out the hard way. So I'm begging you, if you're some thirteen year old, please stop reading. I don't want you reading this, not because I hate you or anything, but because I don't want to corrupt your mind. ^^'
> 
> And that was your news from channel 2, fan news. Have a good evening. *music plays and ending credits scroll by*

**Lost Cause**

* * *

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 2: It Takes a Great Mind…**

* * *

"Ouch... Ouch... Ouch, Nanaba, I said ouch!" Levi barked and leaned back against the bed.

"I'm sorry, captain, but I have to make sure there isn't any more pieces of paint in your wound." The blond haired woman explained while setting the tweezers down onto the tray. "I think you're good though."

"Good." Levi hissed and placed his bloodied towel over his head.

"How's your head feeling, captain?" Nanaba asked, her worry obvious. It wasn't everyday where someone like  _Captain Levi Ackerman_  would come in with such an injury.

"Like hell. I feel like I've been hit by a bus." The man retorted.

"Not so much a bus, but a  _lamp_." Hanji said from her bed, reminding Levi that she was still in the room, still laying in her hospital bed with her hands over her stomach.

"Right. Remind me to ground Mikasa for beating her own uncle over the head with a metal lamp post later." Levi growled and pulled the towel back to look at the damage. It wasn't pretty. "And for drugging you…"

"I don't think she recognized you, Levi." Hanji muttered and started to sit up from the bed, but her whole world spun around her, making her fall back against the bed before she could vomit.

"Not at first, but when she saw my ID, she put two and two together. I think she recognized me when she got the chance to look at my beaten and bruised face."

"Maybe she was ashamed that her own uncle saw her in such a compromising position." Hanji suggested.

"Or maybe my niece hates my guts. I only ever saw her a few times every few years when my sister and her husband were alive, and I never went to my sister's funeral when they were murdered." Levi tossed the towel away, deeming his head drained of enough blood to stop bleeding for the time being. "She ended up in this situation without me knowing. Had I known she was alive after the fire, I would have taken her in, kept her out of this. Maybe she wouldn't be there if it wasn't for that."

"Levi, don't hold that against yourself." Erwin spoke up, announcing his presence in the room. "When she was fifteen, you were in a bad place yourself. You weren't capable of taking care of a child, let alone-"

"Erwin, if you finish that sentence, you're going to find out what it feels like to have a Demerol needle shoved up your ass." Levi warned, barely sending a glance over his shoulder to the taller blond.

"Sorry, I know how you are about that." Erwin apologized, his face showing the worry from the mental images of Levi's graphic threat. "That's why you aren't going to like what I have to say." Levi looked at him this time, curious by the man's odd words.

"What...?" He asked skeptically.

"I'm taking you off the case, Levi." Erwin said, a sigh escaping his lips in between his words.

"What, why? What did I do to deserve that?" Levi stood up from the bed, momentarily blindsided by his dizziness. He was able to recover in a short amount of time, however, and he was able to stand his ground once again to the unbelievably tall man (tall to him, because he was considered short). "Erwin, if this is about my injuries, they aren't that bad."

"That's not what this is about. Levi, Mikasa is your niece, and I didn't even think about it until I realized it when it was too late. This is too conflicting for the case, and you can't be on it as long as Mikasa is involved."

"Erwin, I don't let my emotions cloud my better judgment. I thought you knew that by now." Levi growled, trying to make himself seem taller so he could feel some sense of pride.

"I  _do_ , Levi, but a jury won't. If this all works out and we get them to court to help them, your case would go against theirs. Besides, after all you've been through, lawyers would use that against us and the kids. We can't run the risk of whoever has them getting out of this without punishment."

"They're selling these kids off to a bunch of child loving perverts! They'll get punishment regardless!"

"But not for as long as we want." Erwin set his hand down on Levi's shoulder, feeling how tense Levi actually was without showing it. "I'm sorry Levi, but I can't run the risk. As of right now, you're off the case." Erwin apologized with a somber tone. Levi huffed, his arms crossing over his chest like a child.

This was completely unfair, and this was the only time he'd whine like a brat himself. He had never done anything wrong for a case; he had only ever done what Erwin told him to do, and it always worked out. However, the situation was different. His niece was involved in this situation, and that would make anyone who didn't know him doubt his mental capabilities.

This was seriously unfair.

"Erwin, I need to talk to you about Armin." Hanji huffed for air as she sat on her elbow and side, forgetting about her nauseous stomach for a moment to gain composure.

"What about him...?" Erwin asked.

"If this is about what he did for me, we'll send him some flowers later. I have to thank him for keeping Mikasa from beating me to death." Levi said sarcastically as he sat back down on his hospital bed beside Nanaba.

"Well, that too." Hanji mumbled.

"What is it about Armin?" Erwin asked again.

"Erwin, he's  _smart,_ " Hanji said in a rather grave tone, as if the situation called for it. Maybe it did. "And I don't mean my kind of smart, which he is too. He's your kind of smart. He's always five steps ahead of everyone else. He must have known our faces from TV or something, because as soon as he saw us, he planned against us. I should have thought through that, that they would have known our faces somehow, but I didn't."

Hanji hissed, her stomach doing flips on her.

"I should have known that Mikasa slipped something into my drink too. I didn't even realize it until I was on the floor in pain."

"And by the time you realized it, Mikasa was already beating me in the head." Levi mumbled. "I don't think that was part of Arlert's plan though. He defended me when Mikasa tried going after me the second time. If it wasn't for him, I might actually be dead right now."

"So Armin is still kind despite his situation and how he's had to live these past few years." Erwin mumbled to himself.

"No, he's level headed. I'm sure he's a sweet kid, but he thinks just like you do, Erwin."

"And one Erwin wasn't bad enough." Levi whispered to himself. Hanji barely cracked a smile, but it quickly turned into a frown when her stomach lurched.

"Hanji, lay back down. You can't move around like that." Nanaba instructed and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder, directing her to lay back down.

"S-Sorry," She apologized and leaned back into her bed.

"So we're dealing with a mastermind pretty much." Levi summarized for the woman.

"I thought that I was right about them, but I had it totally backwards. It's Armin we should be concerned about, not Eren or Mikasa." Hanji sighed. Laying down seemed to help her stomach some, but there was still a pain that wouldn't go away.

"No, you were right about a lot of things. Armin is still the baby, and Eren is still protective of him. Mikasa is protective of both of them, and she's very much the older sibling of the situation, even if she's only older by a few months. We didn't take into consideration that any of them would be on Erwin's level, but we know now. We can think of something before they do and hopefully not have it backfire." Levi explained.

* * *

The bedroom door was slammed open, Eren ragging into the small, cold room in a fit of emotions. Was he scared or angry? Was he anxious or nervous? It was probably all of those emotions and more.

"Shit, shit,  _shit!_ " He cussed up a storm as his siblings followed him into the room, Mikasa shutting the door behind them so they didn't disturb anyone and get themselves in trouble.

"Eren, calm down," Mikasa tried to sooth her friend, but the situation was even getting to her, the one who seemed to be the most level headed from the group. That was only because of how quiet she was, how emotionless she could pass off, but that wasn't the case. Anyone would argue with it, but Mikasa cared more for them than people could see, and Eren and Armin knew it well.

"I can't calm down, Mikasa!" Eren hollered before tossing his shirt across the room.

"Eren, please. Panicking like this won't solve anything." Armin said softy, trying to calm his friend down. Armin's words seemed to do something more for him than Mikasa's, and Eren stopped his frantic pacing to breath.

He knew he should have remained calm. He didn't mean to throw a fit or panic the way he was. He didn't mean to upset Mikasa or Armin like he was either, but he couldn't help it. He was scared about what had happened, what would happen to them now.

"I'm sorry..." He apologized. "I didn't... I don't mean it..."

"We know, Eren..." Mikasa said while touching her brother's shoulder.

"I-I just... I don't want to be uprooted again." Eren murmured, his green eyes watering as he looked up to his siblings. "I don't want you guys upset..."

"You look more upset than we do, Eren." Armin joked, but his own blue eyes began tearing up. Eren laughed, taking up Armin's hand in his own and showing a softer side to the teen, a softer side that only the two others in the room had seen.

"Oh lord, do I have to leave you two alone again?" Mikasa asked, referring to their closeness as a perverted comment, but it was a joke, meant to bring smiles to her sibling's faces, and it worked. Armin laughed it off while wiping his eyes off with the sleeve of his heavy sweater, and Eren acted as if he hadn't shed a single tear, which he had.

"No, we're okay." Armin assured.

"For now at least..." Eren mumbled and looked to the two of them. "What do we do now...?"

* * *

"What do you think, Erwin...?" Hanji asked.

"If the kid thinks like you, you should know what he'll plan next." Levi muttered. Erwin walked over to the hospital room window, looking over the busy streets being doused in rain. "So what is he, what are  _you_ , going to do next? Where are you going to go now that you've been caught? How are you going to hide?"

"I wouldn't hide. Everyone would be expecting me to hide, and they'd be looking in all of the hiding places when I'm right there in their faces." Erwin muttered, but it was to himself. He placed a hand on his face, his fingers running over his chin lightly in thought.

"So where would you go?" Levi asked while crossing his arms over his chest.

"... If I were Arlert... I'd go back to the club tomorrow night."

* * *

"Wait, what?" Eren gaped in surprise.

"Armin, we can't do that." Mikasa said, her arms crossing over her chest to keep herself warm in her small outfit. "That's suicide. That is just asking for trouble."

"No, we can go for a few more days at  _least._ " Armin assured while shrugging off his jacket.

"Why...? The cops will be all over the place." Eren told him, following Armin as he walked over to their shared closet.

"No, because they won't expect us to go back so soon." Armin yanked off the tiny pair of shorts he was wearing to throw on a pair of sweats, something more comfortable and something he could sleep in. "And Eren, you have Officer Levi's ID. More than likely he'll tread lightly and be afraid to go back, especially now that you know who he is."

* * *

"Erwin, they wouldn't go back, not now when they know we are aware of them."

"And that's why they'll go." Erwin explained while looking back at them. "Levi, Eren has your ID. He's using that as a sort of insurance, assuring that you won't mess with him again. Armin knows that just as well, and if he's like me, he'll know that you'll be too afraid to go back again, at  _least_  for a few days. Armin knows they'll have a few days there, enough time to figure out an explanation to give to their pimps and run away before it's too late."

"But what if their pimps hurt them?" Hanji asked. "They'll take this whole excuse of them needing to leave because of us as their fault."

"I don't know if that's completely true." Levi mumbled, leaning against the edge of his bed. "It was really blurry, but I remember Eren saying that his boss 'doesn't like his best being messed with'. If they're this guy's 'best,' then he'll be nicer to them then to others."

"Assuming if there are others." Erwin said. "We don't know what percentage of the prostitution in this city belongs to their pimps, or even if anyone else does."

"What do you mean by that?" Levi asked with a frown.

"If they're this pimp's "best," they may be his only kids. He may just be using them, keeping himself at a low key." The blond explained and walked over to Levi's bed.

"So he's protective of his 'kids'?" Hanji asked and slowly rolled onto her back.

"Right. Regardless, they're going to try and fight this, try to keep their secrets for as long as they can. They don't want to cause any trouble, and I'm guessing Armin is the one who's keeping Mikasa and Eren safe. He's the smart one making up the excuses."

* * *

"So what do we say to him…?" Mikasa asked, her heels abandoned for a pair of comfortable socks. She was relieved to be rid of the evil contraptions, and once again she found herself questioning why the damn things even existed.

"I have to figure that out…" Armin sighed, his hands running through his hair and messing it up. Anyone could see how easily this got to Armin, how much weight this put on his shoulders, and if they knew the boy, his sister and friend like the three of them knew each other, then they would know that Eren and Mikasa entrusted a lot of faith and hope into the boy. Armin never thought that was the case before, but after the two had confronted him about it, Armin soon realized that his friends never once found him weak or a burden. After that, the small blond used his natural smarts to help his friends, but it got to him, and anyone could see it. Knowing that was hurting him, however, didn't sit well with the others.

To try to make him feel better, because Eren would  _never_  want his friend to suffer alone, Eren placed a hand on the small of his friend's back, offering up a sympathetic smile.

"Do that tomorrow morning. Let's just try to get some sleep." Eren said softly. Armin smiled back, nodding his head in agreement. Sleep sounded like heaven after such an exasperating day, and with a very heavy sigh of relief from Mikasa, the two boys' knew she agreed whole heartedly.

This was the happiest she had been in a while, removing the thing called a shirt and those tiny dance shorts and tossing across the room like they were confetti. This meant that she walked around bare until she found something decent to wear, but the teens had seen far worse than their own sister naked. They couldn't help but join her, finding better clothes to wear for sleep. What they wore for work wasn't even legally considered 'clothing', but it wasn't like they had a choice. They were just happy to be in baggy shirts, sweat pants, and  _underwear_.

"What do you guys want for breakfast tomorrow…?" Eren asked while covering his mouth to hide a yawn.

"Well, if we can afford it, there's a new place opening up a few blocks from here. It looks like a cute little bakery. We could try there." Mikasa suggested while dropping down onto the twin sized bed in the corner of the room. Armin followed close behind, confirming that he liked the idea with a slight bounce as he jumped on the bed.

"That's  _if_  we could afford it. I'm not sure if they're expensive or not." He mentioned.

"Well, after tonight, it may not matter." Eren said with a smug smile, his hands reaching into the pocket of his neglected jeans.

"What do you mean, Eren…?" Armin asked.

* * *

 

"You gave me real money to give to him?" Levi blurted from surprise.

"I figured it would be more convenient for them in case this operation didn't work." Erwin divulged, not looking as half as panicked as he should have been.

"Erwin that was six hundred dollars you stuck in my wallet! Six hundred dollars that three teenage prostitutes now have in their grubby, little hands!" Levi barked, his irritation rising. This man knew exactly how to get under his skin.

"Levi, the whole mission didn't work. We came into flaws with the plan, and I knew that the mission failing was a huge possibility. I also knew that doing this when it could fail would jeopardize their situations and put them in hot water with their pimps. If they've got something out of it, something real and tangible, they can work with it, and it was a lot of money to work with. If they are smart, and I know they are, enough to fool you, Levi," And Levi would pretend that comment went right over his head. "Then they will ration the money, and that way, for the next few days after they run, they'll pretend to work, and then give the money back each night.

Erwin set a hand down on Levi's shoulder, trying to calm the man down.

"This will give them time, maybe some extra food, and at least then we're helping them without being there in person. We can't do much in this situation, but it's something better than nothing. We can imagine that they'll have a good breakfast tomorrow, and feel like their lives aren't shit for the next five minutes." Erwin stepped back, knowing full well that Levi would eventually snap his arm in half if he didn't.

Levi knew better though. He knew what Erwin said was the truth. He knew it, because Erwin was right.

Erwin was always right.

* * *

"Six hundred dollars…" Armin intoned, completely taken by surprise by the money Eren held in his hands.

"That's more money than all three of us make in a few nights." Mikasa mused, her hands shaking when her brother handed her two of the bills.

"I figured it would all go to him anyway, but for now… Well, we can have a decent meal for once. He won't know, right?" Eren inquired while handing Armin two more bills. He took the last two for himself, leaving the three of them with equal amounts of the share.

"We could always ration it too… You know, give him thirty from each one night, twenty the next… Something to keep money in our pockets." Armin suggested, barely suppressing a yawn.

"That means we could have a few days off from this." Mikasa mumbled, the realization dawning on her in beautiful surprise.

"That sounds like a pretty good idea." Eren said, a smile on his lips. He and Mikasa watched as Armin yawned, his nose scrunching up in that cute way it always seemed to do. Eren chuckled under his breath before grabbing at the pillow closest to him and whacking Armin upside the head with it, knocking the kid down on the bed.

"Ouch, Eren! What was that for?" Armin laughed, but Eren was suddenly on him and knocking the wind out of him in seconds.

"Okay, you two, don't get so crazy now. We need to get some sleep." Mikasa said in a mother-like fashion, but the instructions were ignored as Eren tickled Armin just below his ears, in the spots he knew would make the kid laugh hard enough to pee himself. Of course Eren would back off before that point came, but it was fun just to see those tears pool together at the sides of his eyes.

"N-No, Eren! St-Sto-! Aha! Stop it!" Armin cried and begged, and finally, when Eren knew the boy couldn't take it anymore, Eren finally relented.

He pulled Armin's hands into his own, pinning them into the bed while Armin giggled off the last of the sensations. By this point, Mikasa had crawled into bed next to them, attempting to ignore their rowdy behavior in order to get some sleep. That was hard, however, when Eren began blowing raspberries on the side of Armin's neck.

"I'm going to kick you both out of the bed if you don't quiet down." She said over her shoulder and covered her head with the blanket.

"She's just jealous that I won't sit on her." She heard Eren whisper above the covers to Armin.

"I don't know why. You're so freaking heavy!" Armin huffed while trying to push Eren off of him.

"Hey, I take good care of myself!"

"Tell that to my lungs…"

"Oh really…? That's how you want to play it, Armin?"

Mikasa jumped when Armin shrieked, his legs suddenly thrashing out and kicking at Mikasa's own by mistake.

"Oh gross, Eren! You're such a boy!"

"What does that make you then?"

"Go to bed!" Mikasa cried in exasperation from under the blankets.

"Mikasa's mad," Eren whispered, finally getting off of Armin and crawling under the covers. Armin simply laughed it off, slipping in under the blanket next to Eren and settling down. As soon as Armin was safely situated, Eren pulled him close, his arms wrapped around the boy's smaller body and keeping him against his own. Armin only rolled his eyes, used to Eren's strange ways of affection by now, but he wasn't complaining. It would be a life of long, cold, and lonely nights if it weren't for Eren. "How's this…?" Eren asked, as if this whole thing was Armin's plan.

"This is nice…" Armin mumbled, his lips barely brushing against Eren's shirt collar. Eren leaned back, his eyes looking down into big, blue ones with an affection he held only for Armin. Quietly, so he didn't upset Mikasa again (Because she would kill him if it happened one more time), Eren leaned down, pressing a small, delicate, and ginger kiss to Armin's lips. Armin laughed quietly, the only indication that he had done so by the shake of his shoulders.

Eren's hand touched his cheek, a small sign of affection, because he knew that something like this was all either of them could handle. After the lives they had to live, the smallest bits of affections to one another were hard to enjoy, and it was harder knowing that at the end of the night.

* * *

"Sleep well, you two. I'll see you in the morning." Nanaba said softly before flicking the lights of the hospital room off. The room plunged into darkness, the only source of light coming from outside the windows from the city around them.

Levi let out a gruff sound as he dropped onto his bed, the old hospital bed squeaking under the forced weight. He wasn't anywhere near tired, his eyes wide open and his heart beat thumping in his chest. He was mad, irritated, outraged; the list was endless.

" _I'm sorry Levi, but I can't run the risk. As of right now, you're off the case."_

" _Levi, you need to stay here. Rest, and we'll see what we can do."_

" _Erwin, these kids' lives are in danger. My niece's life is in danger."_

" _And we're going to do everything to save her and her family. Until then, stay here and rest."_

This truly wasn't fair. Levi never let his emotions cloud his better judgment. Sure, he had a past, and sure, he used to be that way, but he wasn't anymore. He had learned his lesson the hard way, and he would never put anyone's life in danger like that again, so why was he being punished? After so long, why did he still have to suffer the consequences of his mistakes?

"Levi," Hanji murmured in the quiet room.

"What…?" Levi practically growled out. Hanji shifted in her bed, laying on her side, but the nausea hit her quickly. The poor woman rolled back on to her back, a whimper leaving her before she could continue.

"What if this doesn't work?" Hanji asked out loud.

"What if what doesn't work?" Levi asked and rolled on to his side, his back facing her. There was still enough light in the room for them to see each other, and Levi didn't want the woman to see him practically pouting like a child. He was in all sorts of odds and ends tonight.

"Erwin's plan will work, but only if they don't try to run."

"Why would they run? If we've got one, then we've got the others."

"That's what I mean." Hanji spoke up a little louder. "Their situation… What if they've been told to leave one another behind?"

"They wouldn't do that. They're too close." Levi assured, but he saw the woman's reasoning behind her words.

"I'm just saying… If we've got one, what if the other two run? If we've got two, what if one runs? They're prostitutes, and if they're pimp truly wants them out of trouble, then maybe… They have no choice but to leave someone behind…" Hanji reasoned, her voice once again dropping.

Levi remained quiet, having no response for that.

Erwin's plan would work. It had to, but that meant the kids all had to follow. It seemed logical that, if they had one, the others would follow. If they had two, the last one would have no choice but to give in, but they didn't think about what would happen if they abandoned their own family.

If they were to get Armin, would Mikasa and Eren abandon their little brother? If they had Mikasa, would Eren and Armin abandon their own sister, the eldest in their little family?

What about Armin? Armin was the youngest, the baby. He was the smartest though, and most level headed. If he had been told to leave them behind, if he had no choice but to abandon his brother and sister to save his and his pimps own asses, would he do it?

Would any of them truly leave the other behind?


	3. Left Behind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for the late updates! I have actually had two colds in the past two weeks, and the second cold gave me a nasty sinus infection. I'm finally getting over it though! Please no more colds. I can't miss anymore school so close to graduation. T^T I lost my new laptop to a broken mother board (Three months old, 1000 dollars later. e-e) I have my new one now, and everything was taken off of the old laptop before it was junked. Yeah. Stuff happened. This is why I say follow my tumblr. XD
> 
> But hey! I'm finally back on track! Updates~! I'm so glad to be putting stuff up again, because I've been bored! . Ask Marika, she'll tell you. XD Please enjoy the new chapter! ^_^
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

* * *

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

**Chapter 3: Left Behind**

* * *

"So uh… Where did you get the outfit from?"

"If this is your way of hitting on me, Oluo, then you might as well slap  _yourself_  in the face. It'll save you the time."

"Aha, s-sorry, Petra…" Oluo dropped his head, looking away from the woman sitting next to him in the passenger seat and forcing his attention on the road ahead of him. It was hard focusing on red lights though.

Seeing the woman of his affections in a skirt that was dangerously short and a tank top that showed off her belly was something new, something he'd never seen from her. Petra usually wore dress pants and long sleeved shirts, always being modest in her appearance. She always had soft, natural makeup that made her appearance look more defined, and her hair was always softly brushed and tucked behind her ear. He knew that this mission required dressing down for the occasion, but wasn't what she wore a little too much?

This short skirt should have been illegal, and he was sure those tears in it were intentional. Her tank top looked like something for a prepubescent teenager, and her bra straps were so visible from under it. Her hair was wild, sprayed back and out of her face. Her makeup was dark: Dark lipstick, dark eye shadow, and dark eyeliner. Her eyes looked so big and brown, more striking than before, but it was just too much for her naturally pretty face.

Anyone would get side-tracked by this, right?

"It's just… I didn't know you owned a skirt this short." Oluo tried again, trying to get rid of the quiet forming around them.

"Borrowed it from Anka." Petra replied, setting her head down on the window so she didn't have to look at him.

Well, that was a turn off. Instead of the image of Petra in a skirt, it was Anka Rheinberger, that prissy little brat from Commander Pixis's escort squad. That girl was only a few years older than him, and yet she acted like a twelve year old… When she wanted to be.

"Ah… Okay... Well then-"

"Are we there yet?" Petra asked impatiently. "I'm really sick of your come-ons."

"I'm not flirting with you. I'm just trying to make conversation." Oluo explained, though he couldn't even fool a baby. He knew he was flirting, and obviously it wasn't working. By the way Petra sent him an annoyed sideways glance, it was obvious that she picked up on it. "We're here…" He muttered dejectedly, defeated.

Petra lifted her head up, looking at the club Oluo was parking in front of. She sneered at the multiple types of people out there, because they all were the same in some manner. All of them with their revealing clothes and piercings. It was disgusting really.

She was so far above them.

"Something tells me you don't like this type of setting." Oluo guessed while putting the car into park.

"Not really. What upsets me more is that all of these people are here to get rid of their problems, and they don't even see what's right under their noses." Petra adjusted in her seat, her arms crossing over her chest after undoing her seatbelt. "They don't even see teenagers who were forced into this life, let alone care about them, and even then, they probably think their lives are worse off."

"That's not entirely true, Petra." Oluo said.

"They sleep with them too. It's  _disgusting._  I can't imagine what they're thinking about."

"Try not to. All we can do is get them out of here. That's why we're here today, right? To get them out?" The blond questioned, honestly feeling sorry for her. Petra took too many things to heart, which wasn't a bad thing, not at all, but in this type of work, it was something that would bring anyone down.

That's probably why Oluo thought so highly of her. In a job like this where everyone had to give up personal feelings, she was the only one who hadn't.

"I guess…" Petra sighed before getting out of the car, and Oluo followed, locking the car and walking next to her up to the club.

"Come on, we've got a job to do. Perk up!" Oluo said before jabbing her arm. "If we're lucky, we get to knock some heads. Sound good?"

"I'm not hurting kids!" Petra gaped, and now she seemed disgusted with him instead of the situation.

"N-No, I didn't mean them! I meant- Ugh! You're such a woman!" Probably not the best choice of words on Oluo's part.

"Excuse me?" Petra asked, obviously offended by his statement.

"Wait, no, that's not what I meant!" Oluo gaped in fear. Petra scoffed before walking ahead, totally ignoring when he called out to her so she would slow down. Instead, she made her way to the entrance, ignoring him completely with arms crossed over her chest and a fast paced walk.

She'd rather deal with the greedy people in the club than him.

"Name…?" The bouncer inquired. Petra tilted her head to the side, her annoyance showing greatly.

"Really, Marlowe?" She asked, her hip cocking to the side. The man in front of her, the man she easily pegged as Marlowe, looked over his clipboard, giving her an eyeing warning, as if not to blow his cover. "Didn't think they'd let you out of the playpen yet."

"Miss Petra," He leered, his eyes scanning his surrounding area for people who may have overheard their conversation.

"Relax kid. They aren't going to take away your badge because we're talking like we know each other." Oluo explained.

"I don't care! I'd rather not take the chance!" Marlowe lowered his voice to a panicked whisper, covering the lower half of his face with the clipboard.

"Ah, the days of being a virgin cop." Oluo mumbled.

"This is my first undercover, and I'd rather not mess it up, so  _please_ …" Marlowe lowered the clipboard, cleared his throat, and lifted his head high. "Name please."

"God, now get out of the way." Oluo surely wasn't letting this child get in his way today. Not now or ever, and with that in mind, he shoved past Marlowe and walked into the club. Marlowe looked like a kicked puppy, his lower lip quivering in defeat as he lowered his head. Petra sighed, uncrossing her arms from her chest to humor him.

She remembered the days at her first job. She remembered being excited and happy about everything, yet everyone else wanted to bring her down. To this day, people still wanted to do that, and she never understood why.

Why do it to someone else?

"My name is Petra Ral." She said. Marlowe looked up at her with puppy eyes, seemingly happier now that she gave in. He smiled, moving out of the way for her.

"Thanks, Petra," He said softly and held the door open for her. Petra nodded with a meek smile before entering the building, instantly being blinded by the bright lights shining in her face. She covered her ears, her hearing not used to this blaring music, or was that even music? It sounded like some idiot high off of pot screaming into a microphone.

Was this what people listened to these days? It made Petra feel old for thinking that this wasn't anything like what she would listen to, and she was only twenty two.

"Hey…!" Oluo grabbed at her arm, pulling her to the side and yelling over the music so she could hear him. "You could play the part a little better!"

"At least I look young! You look like you're in your fifties!" She retorted with a shout. "Who's playing the part better now?"

"That's not the point!" Oluo had to yell to make his point clear, and to also make sure Petra could hear him. The music was just blaring. "And you know what?"

"Hey, wait," Petra said, her attention diverted to something else.

"No, I won't wait! I'm trying to-"

"Shut the hell up for five minutes and look!" Petra barked at him and pointed into the crowd. Oluo wanted to yell again, but his eyes caught the barest glances of what she was motioning to, and it got him silent quickly. He looked over to the direction she was motioning to, eyes finding what it was she had been trying to get his attention on.

Across the room, sitting over at the bar, were all three of the teenagers they were after tonight. All three of them were sittin, looking relaxed and calm after such a stressful ordeal they had to deal with yesterday.

Eren was once again in tight jeans and a t-shirt. From what Levi said, he might have been wearing the same thing as he had worn the night before. He was standing beside Armin, who was sitting down on one of the bar stools and nursing a cup of what could only be alcohol. Once again he was in a pair of short that were too small, maybe even smaller than the last, and thigh high boots. Eren must have made sure that Armin was wearing that oversized hoodie, because it was hot in here, yet Armin hadn't taken it off.

Just another thing to prove their relationship was so strong.

Mikasa was in a skirt that should have been illegal. In fact, if it weren't for the shorts that looked more like underwear, there would be too much skin showing. However, the jacket she was wearing compensated for that. All there was under it was a sports bra, and then the jacket covered everything else. It was disgusting really.

And Oluo thought that Petra was showing too much. This was ridiculous.

"Looks like Erwin was right…" Petra mumbled, but Oluo and her had taken the chance to stand close to each other, giving them a better advantage to speak over the crowd.

"Didn't Hanji say that they separate for work though? What are they doing being grouped together like that?" Oluo asked.

"They are working." Petra explained while pointing again. "Look."

Oluo looked again, and this time he could see that they weren't alone. The three of them were talking to two other men standing by them, both drinking and looking heavily intoxicated. It looked as if they were trying to get their next job, but with two people? They didn't know that they did that stuff.

"Shit, we're too late." Oluo cursed.

"Maybe not." Petra said, watching as the three of them exchanged glances before all of them set their drinks down and stood. "We can catch them in the act, arrest them, and get these kids out of here."

"Sounds like a plan." The man agreed. "However, we should seriously focus on the kids. If those guys run, we need to worry about them, not the drunks."

"Good idea," Petra sighed before beginning her trek through the crowd. Oluo followed on her tail, though kept his attention everywhere. If anyone were to see them, they didn't want anyone getting suspicious. They managed to make it to where the teens had been sitting with those two men before walking off in the direction they had, which was to a backdoor exit.

"I don't like this," Oluo said skeptically. Petra looked back at him with a look that agreed with him before looking at the door.

She didn't want to walk in on these teens having sex with total strangers. She didn't want to see a couple of  _kids_  doing this to themselves, but what choice did they have? They had to stop them; they had to save them, and if it meant just a little disgust, that was all it would take to save them.

"Come on…" She whispered before pushing the door open. She winced as the cold air rushed against her pale skin, but she looked outside anyway. No one was directly by the door, prompting her to push it open more. She looked further, finding the alleyway next to the building to be where this door led to. She was about to look around some more, but when she felt something poking into her back, she nearly barked at Oluo.

"Take it," He whispered while placing a gun into her hands. "Just in case." He said while lifting his own. Petra nodded her head before the two of them walked into the alleyway. They could hear voices not too far off, but they were too far away to make out what was being said.

After turning a corner to a nearby parking lot, the two of them could see the teens with the two men before standing beside a rather nice looking car. Sleek, black, and narrow. Petra wasn't good with naming the brand of a car, she just knew that it looked cool. She also knew that the teens did not look happy at the moment, regardless of where they stood.

"I told you, it's only us." Eren's voice was strong and firm, but from where they stood, they couldn't read the expression on his face. Oluo and Petra had to duck behind a dumpster close by, just so they wouldn't be caught.

"Oh come on, man. You don't want your little friend to join us?" This wasn't either Armin's nor was it Mikasa's voice, meaning it one of the two men speaking.

"Armin just watches and gets off that way." That must have been Mikasa's voice, considering she was the only girl there. Petra looked past the metal lining of the dumpster to watch as one of the drunken men sauntered over to the teens, but it was Armin his interest was in.

"Come on, baby. I know that can't be satisfying. Let me treat you right." The man slurred, his hand touching the blonde's cheek in a gentle caress, or at least it looked like it from where they stood. Armin cringed at the touch, his nose scrunching at the smell of alcohol on the man's putrid breath.

Eren didn't like that at all.

"Hey…!" He barked and grabbed at the man's hand, only to twist his wrist and shove the man away. "I told you to leave him out of this. You're dealing with us, not him." He asserted.

So Hanji had been right. Eren and Mikasa were protecting Armin.

The man he had just shoved had to catch himself with every bit of balance he had, but when he did, the words Eren spoke processed in his hazy mind.

"Wait, you're a guy?" He asked while rubbing his head.

"Dude, that's messed up." His friend spoke up.

"Here I was thinking I could have a little fun with a pretty, young thing, and all I'm seeing is some faggot."

"Excuse me?" Eren gaped in surprise and anger.

"Eren," Armin tried to stop him, but Eren wasn't going to stand there and listen to someone call him names.

"What did you just say to him?" Eren asked, stepping forward to be in the man's face.

"Eren, don't." Mikasa warned.

"If we're going to do something, now would be a very good time." Oluo warned. Peta nodded her head before the two of them jumped out from behind the dumpster, arms raised with guns drawn.

"Police, stay right where you are!" Petra called out to them.

It could have gone better. It definitely could have gone  _worse_ , but it could have gone better.

The two men who were drunk to the point of falling over did as told, arms raised, palms flat and facing outwards, though they lost their balance in seconds and fell flat on their asses. That wasn't the plan for the three teens though.

Eren was the first to bolt after picking up Armin's hand to yank him forward. Mikasa followed quickly, moving ahead to try and trick the two officers. It didn't work out like she had planned though. Oluo went after her while Petra kept her eyes set on Eren and Armin.

"I said stop!" When Eren tried to run past her, Petra grabbed at the back of his shirt and yanked. Petra may have been short, and she may have been thin, but this small woman could take down people who weighed four hundred pounds and more on her own. Eren was tall, but he was light, giving her the chance to toss him into the nearest wall. In the boots that Armin was wearing, he became an instant whip. He didn't even make it into the wall before he tripped over an empty soda can and fell into a couple of bags of garbage that had been left outside of the dumpster.

"Eren…!" Mikasa cried, but Oluo was no push over either. He had her down against the ground with her arms behind her back in a couple of minutes. He cuffed her, but Mikasa was still struggling and fighting underneath him, leaving him no choice but to hold her down.

"Let her go!" Eren growled at them, but with a gun against his head, there was nothing he could do.

"Eren Jaeger, you're under arrest for prostitution." Petra began while yanking her cuffs out from the waistband of her skirt to put them on Eren's wrists. "Anything you say can and  _will_ be held against you in the court of law."

"Fuck you," He spat over his shoulder.

"Eren," Armin called out to him in a panic from where he still sat in the pile of garbage.

"Armin, run!" Eren cried. Armin's blue eyes that had been lining with tears widened, his expression one of shock.

"What…?"

"You remember what he said, so run! Go on!" Eren told him while struggling against the cuffs around his wrists.

"E-Eren, no…"

"Armin, don't you go anywhere." Oluo told him.

"Run, Armin!" Mikasa yelled with her face still pressed into the ground.

"N-No, I can't!"

"You know better!" Eren yelled at him. This was his way of actually berating Armin for his thoughts and actions. What Armin was doing was wrong. He shouldn't have been hesitating, because he knew better. He knew that he had to leave them. He had to leave and go home, but he wouldn't.

"Armin, stay where you are." Petra warned him, gun still pressed against Eren's head.

"Go, Armin!"

"Eren-!"

"Go!"

Eren was having none of it.

Tears finally spilled down the boy's pale cheeks as he stood. Without bothering to pat himself off of the garbage that stuck to him, Armin turned away and ran to the door to the building.

"Stop…!" Petra called out to him, but Armin had already disappeared back into the building they had just left.

"Petra, call for back up." Oluo remarked while adjusting his grip on Mikasa. Petra didn't say a word. She just yanked her phone out and dialed for Erwin's number before Armin could get too far. They had to catch him, or all of this would have been for nothing.

As she held the phone up to her ear and listening to the phone dial, she looked to Eren to find his green eyes glaring at her. He was pissed, among other things, but, like Armin, he had tears streaking down his cheeks and dripping against his shirt.

Hanji had been right.


	4. Statistics

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh goodness gravy gracious golly miss molly! I am so sorry for this late update! Ehehe, I'm looking for another laptop. ^^' I know, two laptops in three months. This one, which I've only had for two weeks, lost a graphics card. The card just stopped working. Mind you, I bought this laptop, because it was meant for gaming, and it couldn't even play the SNK fangame by Fang. Really? Yes, really.
> 
> I'm using my old laptop now though. My reliable laptop of five years. It just warms my heart in a really odd way that this thing is still here. ^^'
> 
> Anyway, yammering done! New chapter! Yay~! I've actually been on a writing spree with this story, so I'm two chapters ahead. :3 Oh... The things you're going to go through with this fanfic. ^^' Again, lots of trigger warnings! Not so much this one, though they're there, but more to come. Dum dum dummmmm. Oh yeah, and I did think up another thing last night to add...
> 
> You guys really are going to hate me. ^^;
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Heaven
> 
> By: Ailee (A beautiful song that I highly recommend. Not while reading this of course, but definitely a beautiful song. ^^)

**Lost Cause**

* * *

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 4: Statistics**

* * *

 

"You lost him...?" Levi gaped in utter surprise, though the emotion didn't show on his face. He only managed a glare at the two sitting across from him as he leaned against the table.

"We didn't have much to work with. It was only us after all." Oluo argued. Levi wanted to fight that reason, but he couldn't. It had only been Petra and Oluo on the case, so if one went missing, it wasn't so much their fault.

Who could have predicted that Armin would truly abandon his family? Who knew that, even in those heels he was forced to wear, the kid managed to run and hide from the police on a fifteen block radius?

Levi could only scoff. Hanji had been right in her assumptions, but that's where he began to question things. If she was able to think up the assumptions of one running away, then why not Erwin? Why could Erwin, the man who was always five steps ahead, not predict this as a possibility? Unless he had.

Was this a part of this plan? Had Erwin known about this, and still went along with it? He had chances,  _risky_ chances against the idea, but if he knew he'd get one or two out of the deal, it was better than nothing. That would have meant that he took the deal, bet, and only lost part of what they needed.

Levi wanted to argue, but he had no argument, and he wasn't going to try. Instead, he set his focus on the interrogation room across from them, his eyes watching a frantic Eren pacing back in forth in the room through the one-way mirror. In the room beside Eren's, Mikasa sat quietly at the table within the room, not a sound coming from her, and absolutely no anxiety from the situation.

It scared Levi how much she truly resembled him in personality.

"I'm sorry for putting you two through the fray like that." Erwin apologized while looking through a yellow folder. "I'll admit that it wasn't one of my better plans. However, you did manage to subdue Eren and Mikasa, and that's a big step in the right direction."

It sounded like that had been his plan all along. Maybe Levi was overthinking it, but he couldn't help himself.

"Do you think Armin will turn himself in?" Petra asked while tucking her orange hair behind her ear. "I mean, his brother and sister, his  _only family_ is in custody. He'd get scared from being alone, wouldn't he?"

"We could hope that is the case." Erwin said before sighing heavily. He set the yellow folder back down on the table and rubbed at his temples, his hair a little askew from it. Levi could tell that Erwin hadn't gotten much sleep recently. It would be the only explanation to his unkempt appearance, which heavily contradicted to his usual neat and organized look. "Nanaba, why don't you tell us about their positions right now?" The man asked while looking over to the blond woman sitting in the chair beside Oluo. Nanaba nodded her head quietly before lifting up the stack of papers she had been reading over, and what a huge stack of papers it was.

"On the case of Mikasa, she's five foot seven, ten pounds less than what she needs to be, and surprisingly calm in this situation." Nanaba said. "That one isn't a doctor's opinion though. She's pretty dehydrated, but we've been giving her water to fix that. After some...  _Personal_  tests, I've found out that Mikasa has scarring and tears in... Obvious areas."

"Disgusting..." Petra hissed.

"She's under weight...?" Levi asked. This was his way of denying what he just heard about his poor niece.

"Yes. With Eren, it's a different story entirely." Nanaba set the papers down and sighed, a very similar action to Erwin's previous movements.

"What's wrong with Eren?" Petra asked, obviously concerned for the teen.

"Eren is extremely emaciated. He's twenty nine pounds less than what he needs to be, and after some tests, I've determined that Eren's muscles are deteriorating to compensate for his malnutrition." Nanaba explained. "Which would explain why it was so easy for Petra to pin him, or why Oluo was able to hold down Mikasa. Both of them are weak, especially Eren, and they couldn't manage the energy to put up a fight."

"So Eren doesn't eat?" Petra asked.

"It could be that Eren is sharing his food with Mikasa and Armin. If Mikasa is ten pounds less than what she needs to be at, he's feeding her his shares. I bet if we weighed Armin, he'd be rather healthy too." Erwin began to think it over, though the words unconsciously let his mouth.

"I got a good look at the kid when we were at the club. He looked like he was filled out more than them." Levi said while looking at Eren through the glass. "You can't tell with his clothes on though."

"I saw what Armin was wearing. He did look like he had more weight to him." Petra agreed.

"So Eren is starving himself to take care of them." Levi said.

"More than likely it's for Armin. They keep him from doing the work, and then they have to compensate money for him. It puts pressure on the money situation and what they can afford." Erwin said.

"Oh my God..." Petra whined while dropping her head into her hands, her hair becoming a tangled mess within her fingers.

"What's wrong?" Oluo asked.

"What kind of life is this for kids? They shouldn't be worrying about money and when they can eat next. They should worry about zits on their faces and what they're going to tell their crush at school. This life is an actual hell for them."

"And we're going to do everything we can to help them, Petra." Levi said while crossing his arms over his chest. "We just need them to talk."

"They won't talk easily though." Oluo told him.

"Let me talk to Mikasa. Maybe I can talk some sense into her, and then she can talk to Eren." Levi suggested while looking back at Erwin.

"Levi, I already told you no. So long as Mikasa is family, then it contradicts the case." Erwin explained.

"Well then I'll talk to Eren. Let me do  _something_  to help." The older man pleaded with him.

"Eren is a possibility, but you can't really talk about Mikasa." The blond said skeptically. "Which leads to more difficulties." Levi groaned before rolling his eyes and stepping away from the group of officers standing around the table. He looked into the room his niece was in, watching her sit quietly in her chair, not a hint of worry. It was as if she hadn't had any emotions to begin with.

This wasn't the same little girl he remembered. He remembered a charming child with a smile that went from ear to ear, a toothy grin that would make him smile as well. He remembered the flower crowns she used to wear, the long dresses she wore that were inevitably covered in mud, and the scratches and bruises from playing too roughly outside.

This was not the same girl. This teenager was a ghost of her former self, a hollow shell that had no presence. She could easily fade into the background and hide, disappear and leave no trace behind, but that wasn't her. Mikasa used to love the attention for whenever she did something right, and she'd do everything good to be praised.

What had they done to her?

"Was that all from Eren's physical exam?" Erwin asked, shaking Levi from his thoughts and to the conversation at hand. He looked back just as Nanaba regretfully shook her head, a frown on her thin lips.

"Eren has his own set of problems. I shouldn't have to tell you the details. You should know what kind of problems he's got. The only upside is that he's completely clean of any sexual dis-"

"Petra," Levi leered to the woman sitting down. Attention fell to her as she lifted her head, and it was a surprise just as much as it wasn't a surprise to see tears lining her eyes and soaking her cheeks.

"Are you okay?" Oluo asked. Petra wiped at her eyes, but even with her attempts to calm herself, it didn't do any good.

"... No," She eventually caved in.

"Oluo, why don't you take her home?" Levi asked the man sitting beside her. "You've both had a long night. Make sure both of you eat and rest well."

"Yes, sir," Oluo said and placed a gentle hand on the small of her back. Petra let out a heavy sigh before nodding her head in a silent agreement. She stood, and the man beside her followed quietly. They left the room in much the same manner, leaving Nanaba, Hanji, Erwin and Levi to themselves. For a moment it became quiet, just the lot of them adjusting themselves in the slightly chilly room. It wasn't until Hanji spoke up that the silence was broken.

"Petra is too kind for this sort of thing. She gets too attached to victims." The brunette said empathetically.

"This isn't your usual case though. Most victims we get are homeless, no friends or family to speak of. These three have created their own little family with just themselves." Erwin stated while looking into the room where Eren paced. "It hits home for all of us, I'm sure."

"Petra may need some time though. If she gets attached to them, it makes things difficult for everyone." Levi said while uncrossing his arms and moving in the direction of the door.

"Levi, what are you doing?" Hanji asked.

"Just going to talk with the brat." Levi said before entering the room. Eren's eyes darted over to the man, his brows furrowing quickly and an ugly frown forming on his thin lips. He turned around completely, his back facing Levi as he stared at the wall. With arms crossed over his chest and feet firmly planted into the tiles, Levi knew he had his full attention. "Are you pouting?" He asked.

Eren didn't answer, didn't even look in his direction. His green eyes continued looking into the grey walls with anger.

"You're eighteen years old. Stop acting like a Goddamn child."

"Fuck you. There, is that better?" Eren spat over his shoulder.

"So you are listening to me." Levi revealed as he took a seat in one of the chairs. "Glad to know."

"What the fuck do you want?" Eren asked, annoyance obvious and dripping off of his tone like venom off snake fangs, which added up in being just as deadly.

"To talk." Levi answered.

"Well talk." Eren said.

"Tell you what. Why don't you tell me your pimp's name, and we can call it a night? Easy, right?" Levi asked. As an answer, Eren gave him the middle finger, eyes still staring at the wall. Levi sighed heavily, his patience waning. Levi was a patient man, but the kid was asking for it.

"How about we talk about your little friend, Armin?" Levi persisted. To that, Eren's head barely turned a fraction in his direction. That struck a chord. "Sucks to be in his position, right? All alone now that you and Mikasa are here. It'd be easy if you told me who your pimp is, that way we can get Armin to a safe environment."

The atmosphere seemed to change. Now that he'd mentioned Armin, Eren seemed furious. If looks could kill seemed to be the perfect description of this particular moment, because Eren's big eyes were burning holes into Levi's head.

"... Go suck a dick, old man." He hissed in disgust and forced his attention back to the wall.

That pissed him off.

Levi stood up from his seat and swiftly made his way to Eren. He grabbed at the unsuspecting kid's shoulder and shoved him into the wall, his head pinned under his free hand with force. Eren groaned in pain, and what Nanaba said had been right. Eren was far weaker than the older man had imagined. He could barely struggled within the man's grasp, his breath already coming out in heavy pants, as if he had run a five mile race.

Levi wasn't pushing it, was he?

"Listen, little shit. I am trying to help your sorry ass, as well as everyone here. I'm not asking for you to bow at our feet, but a little bit more respect would be nice." He hissed by Eren's ear. The brunette looked back at him before managing to twist his head and spit in Levi's face. Levi turned his face away, as if he had been smacked across the cheek, and the whiplash was serious. For once, he actually showed a bit of shock.

This brat just spit on him? This  _prostitute_  just spit on him with his disgusting germs? For all Levi knew, Eren had more than enough clients that night, and he didn't even want to think of where the kid's mouth had been.

And he just spit on him.

Levi let go of Eren's shoulder to wipe away the saliva dripping off of his cheek. He shook his hand while sending a glare to Eren.

The brat looked too damn pleased for his own good.

"Levi," Erwin forced his way into the room before the situation could get any farther. Hanji followed close behind, and it was her to pull Levi away while Erwin placed handcuffs on Eren's wrists. "That's enough."

"Fuck you, too!" Eren bit out at Erwin, but the man didn't seem fazed by his actions.

"Hey, watch your Goddamn mouth with him!" Levi barked. He didn't really care if the kid used foul language around him; he could handle a few cuss words, but Erwin was different. Erwin deserved respect, and if Levi had to beat it into the kid, he'd do it.

"Alright, stop it," Erwin said while restraining Eren.

"Levi, you need to calm down." Hanji said.

"He's trying to help your sorry ass," Levi hissed.

"Levi, while I'm flattered that you're trying to redeem my honor, this isn't the way to do it." The blond assured said. "It's late, and I'm sure we're all tired. Why don't you go home and get some rest?"

"What about me?" Eren asked with a small struggle within the blonde's arms.

"You'll be spending the night in one of our holding cells." Erwin told him.

"And Mikasa...?"

"Same as you, but she can't be within the same room. She'll be staying in another holding cell-"

"You can't do that!" Eren suddenly cried and moved to face Erwin, but the man was a brick wall Eren couldn't overcome. His hands still remained restrained in the cuffs with Erwin's grip locked firmly around them. "No, y-you can't! You can't separate us!"

"I'm sorry, Eren, but you need to be separated for some time." Erwin said, and Eren tried slipping from his grasp. "It's only for a little while."

"No! You took Armin away from me already! Don't take Mikasa too!" Eren looked over his shoulder with pleading eyes. When Erwin didn't seem deterred by his look, he looked over to Hanji and Levi, giving them the same look. "Please, she's my sister! She and Armin are all I have!"

"Erwin," Hanji said and motioned towards the blond. Erwin leaned over towards her, letting her place a hand against his ear so she could whisper into it. "While I don't disagree with separating them, putting them in a holding cell for the night is wrong."

"Why is that...?" Erwin asked.

"Because they're still rape victims. We can't treat them poorly if we want their trust."

"I'm not some  _child_!" Eren yelled and yanked at the cuffs. Even distracted, the tall man had an iron grip.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

"Listen to me!"

"Stop struggling, brat." Levi spoke up. Eren was daring enough (or maybe it was stupid enough) to kick his leg out from under him and aim for the man standing in front of him. Levi thanked his quick reflexes, because Eren's kick would have hurt had he really hit that place where no one should ever kick.

"Eren," Hanji said. "Don't do that. He's not good at showing it, but he's trying to help you too." She reasoned.

"Bite me!"

"Little shit-" Levi began, but stopped when Erwin spoke up.

"Alright, stop it." Erwin spoke over their bickering. "Hanji, Mikasa can stay with you. Levi, Eren will stay with you at your place." He announced.

There was a moment of silence, the three of them looking at Erwin like he had grown seven heads.

"... Wait, what?" Levi asked.

"It's not a holding cell. Both of them can sleep in a warm and comforting environment tonight." Erwin explained.

"I don't want to stay with  _him_!" Eren whined like a child.

"And I don't want him staying with me. Erwin-"

"You both have guest rooms in your places, rooms that aren't being used. It's about time you put them to good use."

"But with him?" Eren yipped.

"Yes, with him. Mikasa can't stay with Levi."

"So why don't I stay with Mikasa?" Eren asked.

"You can't be near her while this investigation is going on." The blond explained while finally taking off the cuffs.

"Please... Please don't take her away from me." Eren turned around and begged the man.

"I'm sorry, Eren. She'll be taken care of though. You won't have to worry about her." Erwin patted the kid's shoulder, but it didn't do anything for Eren.

Eren's shoulders dropped and his expression fell. Levi could see his eyes become glassy with tears, but the brunette refused to shed them. He wasn't going to cry in front of them, but he was damn near close to it.

Levi looked up to Erwin, giving him a questioning look that was asking for answers. Erwin was quiet though, not bothering to answer any questions that he had to answer. Levi had to think that Erwin knew what he was doing, because Erwin had always been right in the past. Things always worked out in the end when he led them, and Levi had to think that this time would be the same.

He had to think that Erwin knew what he was doing.


	5. Asphyxiation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Whoa, whoa whoa! It's 2015! It's the year of busy! Finishing off school in 22 school days, four conventions in a row, a trip to Japan, grhtjvfghkjl xesi tireao!
> 
> This "adult" thing is very tiresome. XD Anyway, woohoo! New chapter~! I've got to say that I feel this chapter isn't very detailed, and I know it isn't long. Also, because I am such a lazy piece of cheese that doesn't want to take two minutes to send this to Lady Mari-chan, this has not been Beta read... Dedededed. It literally doesn't take long, but I'm so dead lately from school. I'm just like, "... Yeah, this is good." And upload it, and I apologize greatly for that. I'm hoping it's not too terrible. Please point out any mistakes you see so I can fix them. ^^'
> 
> And I think you guys are getting a little scared every chapter when I say you're going to hate me. Yes, there's lots of trigger warnings, but that's no reason not to be afraid of reading the story. ^^ ... Much. :3
> 
> Whoops. There I go again.
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Namae No Nai Kibutsu
> 
> By: Egoist
> 
> P.S. Happy New Year! :D I hope every starts off their new year with some great things, whatever those may be for you. ^_^

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 5: Asphyxiation**

* * *

"So the guest room isn't decorated or anything. It's got a bed, a dresser, and a small TV, and that's about it. So long as you can clean up any messes you make, I don't entirely care what happens to the room." Levi spoke as he unlocked his front door. He looked back at Eren before opening it, making sure the teen was still standing beside him and that he hadn't bolted off yet, which he hadn't. "Are you listening to me?"

"Yes," Eren hissed, eyes downcast with brows furrowed in anger. Levi nodded his head before opening his door up into his apartment.

"Well, it's not much, but I'll give you a grand tour of my mansion." Levi retorted. Eren followed inside, keeping close as Levi shut the door behind him and toed his shoes off.

"You actually take your shoes off before you walk around your house?" Eren asked, sounding disgusted and annoyed.

"Yes, and if you don't want your feet broken off, I'd suggest you do the same." Levi said, but then thought it over. "Actually, no; I'm telling you to do it. I don't want mud being tracked through my place." He corrected himself.

"These are brand new shoes. What the fuck are they going to track in?" Eren asked, motioning to the shoes he had gotten as a donation from some of the other officers at the office, some like Gunther and Eld. After a quick text, Petra said she would go shopping for them and get him something better than hand-me-downs later on.

"The shit you walked through. Take them off." Levi instructed him with a pointed glance.

Well, this was starting off a lot better than he thought it would.

Eren scoffed before adjusting the backpack on his back and bending down to unlace them. He kicked them off haphazardly, looking Levi straight in the eye to show his defiance to the man. Levi didn't show any sort of resemblance of being threatened by him. He was eighteen; he had a long way to go before he could be a threat, or even be considered one.

"Thank you. Now, this is my dazzling living room. TV is right there, feel free to watch it." Levi began while moving into the living room, Eren still close behind. "If you like to read, I've got a couple of books you could look at. It's not much, but I'm rarely ever home, so I have no use for them."

"Good to know." Eren muttered behind him.

"But, thanks to  _you_ , my job now resides here at home, babysitting your punk ass until the case is over." Levi sent a glare back at Eren, noticing the pout on Eren's face. "This is the kitchen. Like I said, so long as you can clean up any messes you make, I don't care what you do. I just want it back to its original state- And if you keep reaching for my gun, I'll break your arm off."

Levi stopped dead in his tracks, feeling Eren's hand bump into his back first. He turned around, watching Eren's hand dart back like he had touched fire, a surprised look on his face. Levi pulled his gun out from under the hem of his pants and pulled the clip out, holding it up for the brunette to see.

"And just so you know, plastic bullets hurt, but they don't kill." Levi shoved the clip back into his gun and set it on safety before pushing his gun back under the hem. When he turned away, he let just the lightest of smirks form on his lips, because Eren's dumbfounded look was laughable. He managed to hold back any snickering he wanted to do though. "My bedroom is the furthest down the hall, yours is here on the right, and the bathroom is right here. Petra is shopping for you, so I'll tell her what it is you'll need, and you should have it by tomorrow." Levi spoke while motioning to each room.

Eren wandered off to his room, peaking inside the room before walking in. The older man followed behind, following Eren with his eyes like a hawk. The teen looked about the room, his eyes looking at the twin sized bed, the small TV on its stand, and the plain, white walls. He made a face, his nose scrunching up, his lips pursing in a thin line, and his eyebrows furrowing together in what looked to be anger.

"It looks like a jail cell." Eren uttered while turning to look at Levi.

"It's either this or a real jail cell. Take your pick, because I'm not a person who likes to waste time." Levi reminded. Eren scoffed before dropping his backpack onto the bed with a light thud, as if to say that he already knew that small tidbit of a fact. "What was that?"

"This is fine." Eren growled and sat beside his backpack.

"Alright. Are you hungry? I'm going to have to order something or go out and get it. I don't usually eat here, so there isn't much but some bread. Unless that's what you want."

"Anything is fine." Eren answered in a bored tone.

"Alright. How about Pizza? That way I don't need to go anywhere." Levi suggested. To that, the brunette shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to look up. "I'll take that as a yes. Want anything to drink?"

Once again, he was met with a shrug. Levi hid a scowl, replacing it with a held in sigh, because this wasn't fair. He had to deal with this angst-ridden teenager for how long? For as long as the case went on; this could have meant weeks, months, or God forbid, years. It would be so much faster if Eren admitted who and where his pimp was. It could just be over if he did that, and all of this awkward tension would be done.

"Well, I'll go do that then." Levi said while holding the door.

"Wait," Eren called to him.

"Huh...?"

"... Could I have a soda?" Eren asked without looking at the man, his cheeks slightly pink, most likely from defeat.

"Yeah, I can get that."

* * *

Levi had dreams where one felt paralyzed. He had a few in his life; dreams of being held down, of not being able to move no matter how much he fought. Those were always scary, but once you woke up, it was over. You could move freely again, though you would just sit there and stare at the ceiling, sweating and wondering what had happened.

This nightmare wasn't ending though.

His lungs were  _aching_. His limbs felt heavy and his head felt light. No matter how much he breathed in, there just wasn't enough oxygen getting to him. It wasn't enough, and he was suffocating.

He managed enough strength to wave his arms and hit something hard, enough to move the weight sitting on his chest. The pressure against his face lessened immensely, giving him the opportunity to remove the object obscuring his vision and his breathing.

He let out a heavy gasp, breathing in the air he desperately needed. His vision was blurry and black around the edges, but that didn't stop him from seeing the pillow in his white-knuckled grip, the object that had been asphyxiating him. A pillow couldn't do that to someone though, not on its own.

He hesitated greatly before looking to his side, remembering that there was something he had hit right before he could breathe again. He shouldn't have been as surprised as he was to see Eren beside him, clutching at the side of his head with his hands like he's been shot. He really shouldn't have been as surprised, but somehow, knowing the kid had the audacity to try and  _kill_  him was just a bit more than what Levi could handle at the moment.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" He barked out, noticing how raspy and tired his voice sounded. Eren looked at his with his glaring eyes, the green seeming accentuated on the dark.

Levi could only notice that small thing though before Eren was lunging at him, his hand balled into a fist and trying to hit him. Most likely it was payback for the hit Levi managed, but Levi wasn't a weak child like he was. He grabbed at Eren's fist and forced him to the side, pushing him into the bed. Eren struggled for only a moment, enough time to get on his back before Levi had him pinned back down by his wrists.

"You little shit, don't you get it?" Levi asked in bitter anger. "I'm trying to save you!"

"All you're doing is fucking up my life!" Eren yelled while struggling under the older man.

"You're so messed up in the head that you can't tell right from wrong anymore, can you?" Levi questioned while leaning forward. "You just tried to  _kill_  me! That's wrong, and you know it!"

"I don't care!" Eren tried kneeing Levi between the legs, but Levi was able to reach down and stop that leg from going anywhere. He figured that Eren was just a stupid brat who knew nothing, but he found out that Eren had done it intentionally. With his arm free, Eren reached up behind the man's head and tugged on the hair dusting the shaved part of his head.

And then he kissed him.

Levi's eyes widened in shock, barely registering the face attached to his or how painfully tight Eren's eyes were closed. He couldn't even comprehend the lips against his until Eren's other hand (And Levi wasn't sure when he let go) darted down to the draw string of his pants.

"W-What are you doing?" Levi asked when he was able to pull his lips off of the boy, not intending the stutter.

"Come on, I know you want it." Eren said, breathing heavily as his fingers made quick work of the knot and moved under the hem of his sleeping pants. Levi fought against the hand on the back of his neck, but it suddenly seemed that Eren had more strength and the upper hand in his situation.

 _"Knock it off!"_  Levi yelled, his hand lashing out and slapping Eren across the cheek. With the sound of his hand hitting the boy, Eren suddenly stilled from under him, his hands no longer moving and his arms falling back to his side. Levi yanked himself back, looking down at the frozen body under him with slightly baited breath.

Eren wasn't dead; that much was obvious. He was panting just as much as Levi was, and his eyes were wide with what looked to be fear. What was there to be afraid about though? He was the one causing trouble, not Levi, and he got what he deserved.

So why did he look so scared?

"Get up," Levi growled and picked up Eren's wrist. He dragged the boy out of bed like a rag doll and out of his room go to the guest room, to Eren's room. He opened up the door with a little more force than necessary and all but threw Eren in, where he landed beside his bed limply. "Now good night." Levi hissed and slammed the bedroom door shut.

He flopped against the wall, all of the energy seemingly gone from his body, leaving him a helpless mess. He collapsed to the floor and sighed, his hands covering his head as he tried to process all that had happened in such a short amount of time. How did Eren go from trying to asphyxiate him to getting in his pants? Was Eren really that desperate?

He must have been. Levi had seen victims in desperate times before, but going so far as to sleeping with an officer hadn't been done before, or at least not to him. He hadn't heard from anyone saying they had that experience as well.

Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance before getting up to get his phone off of the nightstand. He needed to tell Erwin about this. This kid couldn't stay here if he was going to behave like that every night. For all Levi knew, the next attack could have been a knife to the carotid artery and a blowjob.

Levi didn't need any of this.

_Receiver: Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_1:16 a.m._

_"Erwin, I'll keep him for the rest of the night, but he can't stay here anymore. He needs to go somewhere else tomorrow, or else you'll be down one cop."_

Just as Levi's fingers hovered over the send button, the man stopped. He knew he needed to do something with Eren, but this? He was supposed to be the adult here, wasn't he? He was letting an eighteen year old prostitute get the better of him. He was letting Eren win by doing this, wasn't he? Because he would be giving in and making the kid go somewhere else instead of his place.

Levi knew that Eren would win if he sent him away. Where would Eren go next if he did, and who would be his next victim? If Eren had no problems going after someone like Levi, he had no problems going after someone weaker, like Petra or Oluo.

What was he supposed to do though? This kid tried killing him, sleeping with him, so what next? Levi wasn't sure what to do with that, and he knew there wasn't much he could do to begin with except to keep himself calm, which he already failed in. He let his guard down, and Eren got right under his skin. Eren saw it too, so the brat had already won a lot of the battle.

Levi sighed. He didn't know what to do, but maybe slapping Eren wasn't the best of ideas to start with. For all he knew, Eren could go and cry assault, even when Levi could say it was self-defense.

He had to do something though. He couldn't just sit there and let Eren and his pimp win. The brunette had been brain washed into this way of thinking, and they were supposed to help him.

Kicking him out wouldn't be helping him, would it?

Levi groaned before heading over to Eren's room. He needed to apologize for what he did, but he also needed to try and talk some sense into the kid. If he could do that, then maybe things could be a little easier for the time being.

He stopped again though just short of opening the door. His hand hovered over the doorknob, his ears picking up on the sounds on the other side of it. He was careful and quiet to open it, making sure he didn't make a sound as he pushed the door open and looked inside.

Eren was still sitting on the floor where Levi had tossed him to. He had both of his hands covering his cheek, the same cheek Levi had slapped, and was crying. The skin of his hands and face were soaked in tears, his skin red and swollen from the exertion. His tiny sobs were quiet, obviously just him trying to avoid being caught crying by the older man, but he couldn't hide how much of it he was doing.

Levi looked away and leaned back against the wall. He didn't think Eren was capable of crying, but he had to remember that Eren was still human too. He was a messed up and mentally fucked over one, but he was still a human regardless. He had been forced into a world where he was trapped, couldn't escape, and all he was doing was trying to live, just like any other human living in a world similar to his.

He wasn't a monster.

_Message to Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_-Delete Draft_

_-Save Draft_

_Draft Deleted_


	6. Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So from here and after this chapter, the story is going to slow down some. Not a lot, but just slow down so we can focus more on Levi and Eren's relationship. I mean we're still going to hear a lot about Mikasa and Armin and their pasts, but we're going to get more Riren moments in, because that's what this story is for! :D
> 
> We get lots of answers to things in this chapter. We also get more questions! Brahaha! It will never end. :3

* * *

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Cold**

* * *

"Oi, brat, get up." Levi commanded with a gruff voice and kicked at the mattress. No response and Levi barely suppressed a growl before kicking the mattress again. "Hey, little shit, I'm not kidding around here. Get the fuck up." Levi said, a little louder this time.

Eren groaned under the blankets, his body moving. If Levi didn't know any better, he'd think the kid was a Goddamn zombie had his head not popped up above the blankets to look at him.

"What...?" He asked, obviously annoyed with the older man. Levi crossed his arms over his chest, hiding a sidelong smirk at the sight of Eren's bed hair.

"Time to get up. Hanji wants to evaluate your mental status or whatever the fuck it was she was yammering on about in my ear."

"Right now…?" Eren asked and looked to the clock dangling on the wall. "It's seven in the morning!"

"You think I want to be up this early too? Because I sure as hell don't. Get up, get dressed, do something about your hair and your god awful breath, because I can smell it from here, and let's go." Levi instructed and turned to leave the room.

"Fuck you, man..." He heard Eren curse at him before ducking back under the covers. Levi had to admit that he hadn't felt this sort of aggravation in a while, but he blamed it on Eren being a teenager. It didn't matter how old one was either; trying to wake someone up was like jumping in front of a moving bus. It was stupid.

So Levi did the only logical thing his pissed off mind could think up at a moment like this. Levi walked back into the room, grabbed at the edge of the mattress and flipped it. Eren made some sort of horrified shriek of terror as he went clambering down to the floor, and Levi couldn't hide the chuckle that bubbled up from his throat. Eren then began his grumbling from under the sheets and mattress about how dumb of a situation this was and how he hated Levi as he looked for his way out. Levi waited patiently until then, and when Eren finally found an opening to crawl out through, Levi had to hold back a smile. Eren's bed head was even worse.

"Are you fucking serious?" He gaped in surprise.

"Be thankful I was holding myself back. If you don't hurry it up, I'm dragging you out of this apartment, boxers, bed hair, bad breath and all, and I will carry you kicking and screaming to Hanji in a public working environment. Is that what you want?" Levi asked with arms across his chest once again.

Eren looked like he wanted to argue with the man, but then he seemed to realize that Levi had no problem actually accomplishing what he just explained. That wasn't at all what the kid wanted, and with a huff of annoyance, Eren started looking across the floor for his pants.

"Good. Be done in ten minutes."

* * *

"Does that bother you at all?"

"No."

"What about if it happened to Mikasa? Would it bother you then?"

_"No."_

Levi sighed.

Watching Erwin and Eren exchange conversation back and forth was boring as all hell, and extremely tedious. He could see it in Erwin's eyes as well. The man was getting restless with Eren, even with all of his patience, and the man had a lot of it.

Back and forth, the two talked. Erwin asked questions, and Eren's answers were always simple yes and no's. Most were no's, and Levi could tell the brat was just lying to cover his tracks.

The more Erwin asked him questions, the more annoyed Eren became with him. Levi could see it in the teen's posture. They started the interview with Eren's feet firmly on the floor, arms resting by his sides on the arm rests of the chair, and sitting up straight. Now, an hour later, he was leaning back, legs crossed over one another, his arms crossed over his chest, and letting his annoyance show.

"Little shit..." Levi cursed under his breath. He looked away from the one-way mirror and the room the two of them were in to look into the next room directly across from theirs. Through another one-way mirror, the older man could see Hanji sitting alone in a room with Mikasa. Mikasa's posture hadn't changed, calm, collected, feet to the floor and hands resting carefully in her lap.

She was another story entirely.

"So when Eren is working, do you watch him work? Or do you go to work on your own?"

"Depends," Mikasa answered softly.

"On what...?" Hanji asked.

"On what people like." His niece replied. Levi grimaced at the answer, hearing Hanji sigh at the same time.

"That's just disgusting." Levi said into his microphone. Hanji cleared her throat, adjusting the ear piece hidden away by her hair.

"Okay then. I have to go to the bathroom. Do you want anything while I'm gone...?" Hanji asked as she stood up.

"No," Mikasa said and shook her head. Hanji nodded before leaving the interrogation room to be in the room Levi was in. She shut the door behind her, and once it was closed, she let out a heavy sigh.

"Well...?" Levi asked.

"Well, after that, I can tell you that Mikasa is far more fucked up than Eren is." Hanji concluded while sitting in an empty chair.

"How do you figure that?" Levi asked and took up the only other empty chair in the room.

"When Eren answers questions, he answers with sarcasm, anger, or annoyance. He acts like a typical teenager would if you caught them doing something wrong and were punishing them..." Hanji trailed off to remove her glasses and rub at the bridge of her nose.

"And Mikasa doesn't do that...?" Levi asked as he leaned over his knees.

"She doesn't do  _anything_. From yesterday to today, all she's done is be quiet. After this interview, I've realized that Mikasa just doesn't feel a thing. She's suffering from a form of "depression" let's just say called Anhedonia. She's been so brainwashed that she can't feel anything anymore." Hanji explained in a rush.

"Why only her…?" Levi asked.

"Because she's the girl. Without trying to be sexist, it's true when I say that she's emotionally weaker. She's frail and can be easily swayed by someone's words. Their pimp knows this, and he made sure no one could ever get to that sensitive side. If we did, if that hard shell of hers cracked, she'd pour out everything."

Levi wanted to vomit. To think that someone would do that to her, to his  _family_ , made him want to throttle someone.

"Eren isn't like that then...?" Levi asked instead of voicing his thoughts.

"No, he's not. He answers everything with an annoyed tone, and I know you've heard it. He's using that as a defensive mechanism, but that's a weak defense. More than likely he'll break first, but we want Mikasa to do it, not him."

"Why Mikasa...? Why should we put her through that?" Levi questioned.

"Because if she breaks, so does Eren. Eren will give in completely, because more than likely he's never seen Mikasa like that. She's been covering her pain to be strong for her family, and that's what made her numb. It'll make him drop his guard when he sees her like that, and then we'll have every answer we need from him. He won't hold back on them."

"Right..." Levi sighed and lowered his head. This was becoming more than he bargained for when he signed up for this.

There was the click of a door, prompting Levi to lift his head. He saw Erwin leaving the room, leaving alone with Eren still sitting at the table, blatantly pissed off.

"How is he?" Hanji asked.

"Angry, among other things." Erwin replied. "Is this a club or can anyone join in?"

"No please, come right on in." Levi said and stood up from the chair to offer it to Erwin. Normally the man wouldn't take up the offer, but Erwin was so exhausted from arguing with Eren that he couldn't argue anymore, especially with someone like Levi.

Levi would surely win.

"So how was Eren last night?" Erwin asked as he took a seat, sighing at the way his bones popped. He muttered something under his breath about how he was getting old before Levi could even answer.

"The kid tried to kill me in my sleep." Levi said blatantly, deciding it was best to "misplace" the other little incident that happened. The other two in the room looked up at him with surprised looks, Hanji with her mouth wide open for any fly to swerve into and Erwin looking like he had been slapped across the face.

"Are you serious?" She gaped. Levi's only response was a nod of the head.

"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Erwin asked while standing up.

"An eighteen year old hurting me? Erwin, you really are getting old." Levi scoffed.

"Levi, this isn't a laughing matter." Erwin said and placed his hands on Levi's shoulders.

"Erwin, I'm fine." Levi said while looking into deep, blue eyes. "The kid tried to suffocate me with a pillow. It wasn't that big of a deal."

"It's a huge deal, Levi!" Hanji said exasperatedly and stood. "He tried to kill you! This changes everything!"

"How...?" Levi asked as Erwin let go of him.

"Levi, he's dangerous. This is the second time that you, a cop, have been assaulted and the second time someone has tried to kill you. This adds up against them and for the case we're building, because both Eren and Mikasa have done it to you." Hanji explained.

"A court wouldn't look into that." Levi argued.

"Yes, they would, Levi. It could be used against them easily, and may even turn the tables against them." Erwin explained.

"Why...? If you look at it, it was just them defending themselves." Levi continued.

"The first time may be looked at that way by a bystander, but not the second. Eren tried to kill you as a means of escaping and going back to his pimp. It could easily be thrown in his face." Hanji told him.

"So what do we do about it?" Levi asked.

"Well, I could meaninglessly forget to put what you told me in the report and hope it doesn't come back to bite us in the ass." Erwin said. "But I can't guarantee anything. As of right now, I'm not even sure he should go back home with you. It may be safer to keep him here for the night."

"In a jail cell...? Erwin, please. You're disregarding my abilities again, and it's extremely offensive." Levi scoffed before walking over to the door leading to Eren's room.

"Wait, what are you doing...?" Hanji asked.

"I'm just going to talk to the kid." Levi answered, and before either of them could argue, the older man was entering the room and shutting the door behind him. Eren looked up at him, his posture sinking further into the chair at the sight of him. Levi simply crossed his arms over his chest, practically sauntering over to the chair Erwin previously sat in. "Hey, little shit." He greeted.

"Did you tell them about what happened last night?" Eren asked in what seemed to be a pout.

"No. I told you in the car that it was going to be kept quiet, didn't I?" Levi replied while crossing his legs.

"Bull shit," Eren grumbled quietly.

"Excuse me...?" Levi asked.

"Do you think I'm that stupid...?" Eren asked and leaned forward in his chair

"Yes," Levi replied bluntly.

"I know that's a one-way mirror. I know Zoe and Smith are watching us both and listening to us talk right now." Eren said, as if offended. "And I can see the wire peeking out from behind your ear." He added before leaning back in his chair.

Levi took in a deep breath before letting out a heavy sigh. He reached up and pulled on the cord, effectively pulling the ear piece out of his ear. He set it down on the table, along with the cord running down to the mic clipped on the inside of his shirt.

"There," He said. "Now we're alone."

"Makes me feel so much better." Eren retorted before coughing into his fist. Levi tilted his head.

"You don't have aids or something, do you?" Levi asked, but he knew the question was redundant.

"Of course not," Eren said while shifting in his chair, hoping to get more comfortable in such an old, rickety piece of furniture. "Aids would ruin my profession. It's just fucking cold in here."

"The cold doesn't make you cough.  _A_  cold would do it though." Levi stated.

"Get off my back, prick. I don't need to hear that." Eren said and turned his head. Levi felt that this was Eren's way of saying that he wasn't going to talk anymore, that any and all conversations were done, and that was fine with him.

"Alright then. I think Hanji and Erwin want to talk to you a little more before we get back to my apartment, so it may be another hour or two." Levi said as he stood up. The words caught Eren by surprise though, making him look up with wide eyes as Levi grabbed the earpiece. "Petra should be back soon with some of the things you need, so I'll see what I can do about getting you a sweater or something in the meantime."

"Wait, I'm going back with you?" Eren asked, standing up a little from his chair.

"Well yeah. Did you think last night's stunt would get you somewhere else?" Levi looked over his shoulder and asked.

To that, Eren didn't have an answer to. Instead, he kept standing and staring, mouth slightly open and confusion written all over his face.

Mission accomplished.

* * *

"Hanji," Levi called out to the woman over by the coffee pot, laughing up a storm at something Gunther had said.

"Yes...?" She mused while wiping at her eyes.

"Come here. I need to talk to you." Levi instructed, but he didn't wait for a response before he was already walking off in the other direction. Hanji shared a sympathetic look with Gunther before setting her cup down and following the man, a little skip in her step as she did so.

"What do you need, Levi?" She asked as the man lead her into a little alcove void of people. The older man leaned against the cut off wall, his legs crossing as he made himself comfortable. "Alright, what happened?"

It didn't take a scientist to know that something was wrong. By Levi's posture and the way the air around him emitted despair spoke all of the words for him.

"Last night, Eren trying to kill me wasn't the only thing that happened." The man explained. Hanji took a moment to let those words settle in before letting out a heavy sigh.

"I knew it," She groaned and sat down beside Levi. "I was just hoping that wasn't the case."

"Sorry for the bad news." Levi said.

"So what happened...?" Hanji asked, the hesitancy obvious.

"This needs to be kept quiet too."

"It was that bad?" To that question, Levi bobbed his head up and down slowly, his lips pursing.

"He tried to sleep with me." He responded, his nose scrunching up at the memory.

"Oh lord..." Hanji sighed and pressed her fingers into her forehead.

"When attempting to kill me didn't work, he kissed me. He shoved his hand down my pants and said, 'Come on, I know you want it.'"

"What did you do?"

"I slapped him. After that, he stopped all together. I took him back to his room and I went back to bed."

"Where did you slap him?" Hanji asked.

"Is that relevant?" Levi questioned with a frown, but was answered with a nod of the head. "I slapped him across the cheek."

"I see..." Hanji hummed.

"Is that bad?"

"Well... Sort of... When you hit a child in the face, you aren't just hitting  _them_. You're hitting who they are, their identity, and their personality; everything about them really. Eren is still young, and I think you slapped some reality into him."

"Was that why he stopped?"

"Probably."

"... He cried too. He did it when I wasn't in the room, but he did it all the same."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he did. His family is gone; one with me and the other God knows where doing God knows what. He's being treated kindly by anyone other than his family, and he's in an environment where he feels completely and utterly alone. That would make even the harshest of people upset."

"Does this mean that he broke?" Levi asked while leaning forward.

"No. He's only going to fight more now that this is happening." Hanji tilted her head back and rolled it side to side, sighing when she was able to get a kink out of her neck.

"Hanji, explain to me why he's doing this. Whoever his pimp is took him out of his home, abused him,  _and raped_  him and his family. His mother is dead, his father is nowhere to be found, his brother is missing, and he and his sister are in custody. Why won't he let us help?"

"Stockholm syndrome." Hanji replied without giving it a second thought. Levi tilted his head, prompting her for a better answer.

"What's that...?"

"You've never heard of it? I thought everyone in this profession has by now." Hanji muttered, her eyes falling over to Eren. "Like Mikasa, Eren has been brainwashed into thinking that his pimp is his life. In order to survive, Eren forced himself into loving this person that's wronged him in every way, and now he truly does believe it. He's in love with this sick bastard, and he'd do anything to be back with them and what he's figured is normalcy."

"So he can't remember what a normal life is, or what it's like to really be loved?" Levi figured.

"The only love he knows is his pimps and his families. Mikasa and Armin love him dearly, and Eren knows that, but he  _believes_  that his pimp does too." Hanji sat up to stretch out her back.

"So how do we teach him different?" Levi asked.

"You don't," The woman responded. "This is something Eren needs to adjust to and understand on his own. Words are empty and hollow, and he knows that, but actions speak louder than words as they say. He needs to see that we're doing what's best for him, even when he doesn't like it, and words aren't going to help him see that."

"I see..." Levi mumbled. His eyes drifted to Eren, noticing the way the teen slouched over in his chair with a tired look in his eyes, but that expression shouldn't have been mistaken. He was tired, but not defeated. That much was for sure.

"Oh, look at that." Hanji mused beside the older man. Levi only registered her words a few seconds before his eyes saw Petra walking into the office, a couple of shopping bags in her hands.

"That must be the stuff she got Eren." Levi said while standing up. "I guess I'll go give it to him."

"No need. Looks like Petra's doing it on her own." Hanji said, motioning over to the woman as she walked over to Eren.

"Dear God, what is she doing?" Levi asked, the question more to himself than Hanji as he began walking over to the two of them.

"Hi, Eren. Do you remember me?" Petra asked while tilting her head. Eren looked up at her with a short glare before looking away, his arms crossing over his chest. Petra took that as her answer, and obvious yes, he did remember, and he was still very,  _very_  angry with her. "Right, well, I never did get to introduce myself properly." She said while kneeling down in front of him.

Petra set the bags to the side, letting them sit for a moment so she could have her full attention on the brunette. She looked up at him from her position, but Eren turned his head away so he didn't see her kind gaze.

"I'm Petra Ral. I'm part of the special regiment squad here known as the Recon Corps..." She began, but seeing that there was no change in Eren's demeanor did nothing for her. "I know we started off on the wrong foot, but I would really like it if we could put that behind us and start over."

"Why...?" Eren asked in a blunt manner. It was enough to have Petra taken aback, but she moved on like it hadn't been a surprise.

"Because we're both adults, and we can settle this in a calm and healthy manner, can't we?" She questioned with a smile. Her words seemed to strike a chord in the teen, his eyes looking down at her in a confused and questioning look, but the anger was still there.

"... You're saying I'm an adult?" He asked skeptically.

"Of course. You're eighteen, aren't you? By law, you're an adult. You can do whatever you want... Well, except drink. That's until you're twenty one." Petra said and tapped at his knee.

Eren scoffed, as if to correct her thoughts. Levi knew first hand that Eren drank. He wasn't afraid of alcohol by any means.

"Right, so, I got this stuff for you that Levi told me you needed, but first, I need you to try these on." Petra said while holding up a shoe box."

"I have shoes." Eren told her while wiggling his feet.

"Yes, but those are just the hand-me-downs the regiment gave you. You have no idea how many pairs of feet those shoes have seen." Petra sneered at the sneakers, her eyes practically burning holes into them. "I got you these so you can have a decent pair to wear. I need you to try them on and see if they fit though. If not, I'll go back and get another pair."

Eren looked down at the shoes, his frown fading and the corrugations in his eyebrows lessening. He looked more curious than mad now as he removed one of his shoes, his eyes following Petra like a hawk as she pulled the brand new shoes from their box.

"I got these ones, because I thought that the blue was a nice color for you. I wasn't sure of what your favorite color was, but you can't go wrong with blue." The woman assured as she began forcing one of the shoes on Eren's foot.

"... I like blue." He mumbled.

"Really...? That's good then. Stand up for me and tell me how these feel." Petra said while tapping Eren's knee again. The teen faltered for a moment before doing as told, standing up and putting most of his weight on the new shoe on his foot. Petra pushed down on the toe of the shoe, feeling for Eren's toes within the canvas and seeing how much space was left. She looked up to the kid with a smile, noticing that he still had room in the shoe to wiggle his toes, which he did as soon as the woman stopped pushing at them.

"Is there enough room?" She asked. Eren kicked his foot around to get a feel for the new material while nodding his head quietly.

"It fits..."

"Are they comfortable then?"

"... Mhm." Petra beamed a huge smile to his answer, seeming more giddy than she should have been that a pair of shoes fit the teens' feet.

"Great! That was what I was worried about the most. Looks are fine and all, but comfort plays an important factor, don't you think?" She asked and grabbed at the shopping bags. She stood up and held them out, letting Eren glance inside of them as he took them from her. "I didn't know what kind of scents you like either, so I just got some generic two dollar shampoo and conditioner. Feel free to waste it."

"... Okay." Eren mumbled.

"There's a toothbrush in here and some tooth paste. I got you three different pairs of pants and shirts, as well as pajama's and a couple of pairs of socks. The only thing I didn't get you was underwear, because I felt like that one was a bit personal. If you want, I can go get you some, but I thought you'd want to get your own more than having a woman do it for you." Petra explained, motioning to each item as she listed it, and then looking up at Eren with an impish grin.

"It's okay. I'm not allowed to wear underwear anyway." Eren told her. Petra tried her hardest not to let the disgust show, because she didn't want him taking it the wrong way, but it was revolting to know that he hadn't been wearing underwear. Was he even wearing them now?

They hadn't gotten him much in the likes of clothes. They only got him the shoes he'd been wearing, because the ones he was wearing that night fell apart on him just as he was leaving the station. They gave him a jacket, but he didn't want to wear it. That was all he had gotten, meaning he didn't get anything extra to wear last night. He was wearing what he had been taken in with, which meant that it was a high chance that he wasn't wearing anything under those worn out jeans.

"Ah, well... You're a teen, and teens like to break a few rules every now and again, you know? They like to be rebellious. So if you decide that you want to go ahead and wear underwear, I won't stop you, and I surely won't tell anyone." Petra said, her voice barely shaking. Eren didn't have anything to say to that. He just continued to look in the bags, examining the stitching of his new clothes and feeling the soft cotton on his fingertips.

"She was always good with the victims." Gunther spoke up, startling Levi. He hadn't even noticed when the man sat down at his desk beside him, but now he wasn't the only one watching the exchange between the two with interest.

"I suppose so." Levi said, his arms crossing over his chest.

"She always had that good connection with them. Even after having pinned them down and arresting them, she managed to still get their trust and help them." He continued.

"Which is why she gets so emotional," Levi reminded him.

"But at what cost? In the end, it's a happy ending, and it's worth the tears. She's good at it, and she genuinely wants to help. Everyone can see it, even the victims; so long as people like Eren can get a better life out of it, a little bit of crying doesn't mean too much." Gunther swerved around in his seat, his focus falling back to the mountain of paperwork in front of him. He audibly groaned, but Levi ignored it, his eyes falling back to the two of them.

"Did you eat breakfast this morning?" Petra asked.

"No, I didn't. I didn't have time." Eren said, sending Levi a hateful glance. The man rolled his eyes when Eren looked over to him, making sure the kid saw it.

"When you get back, have something like eggs or pancakes, something filling." Petra instructed.

"Cereal is fine." Eren mumbled.

"It is if you're having seven bowls of it. You need something more than cereal."

"I thought you said it was fine to be a little rebellious at my age?" Eren countered back with a small smile playing on his lips.

"Haha, alright, you got me there."

* * *

"So, sometime this week I'm going to have to go shopping for groceries. The store isn't far from here, but it's just a hassle having to go." Levi said, pretending that Eren cared about what he said. He forced his apartment door open, walking inside and setting his bag down on the table beside the wall while he continued to talk. "You got any problems with going tomorrow, sometime after lunch maybe?" He asked while turning around to look at the kid.

Eren still stood behind him, to his luck, but pale faced and wobbly. His eyes were downcast and hazy, like a clear lining of fog had been placed over his naturally green eyes. To add to it all, his skin was a little sweaty and pale like he had seen a ghost, or more so, like he was nauseous.

Just as Levi began thinking that, his mind playing back and remembering the cough the brunette had a few hours back, Eren covered his mouth with his hand, his body bending forward slightly.

"Shit, I know that face." Levi grumbled and grabbed at Eren's wrist. "Come on. Let's get you to the bathroom." He said while kicking the door shut.

They didn't even get within ten feet of the bathroom, however, before Eren shoved Levi away and darted for the kitchen. He was able to get himself to the sink before a dry heave hit him, followed by another, and then one more before it all came out. Levi grimaced at the sight, feeling sorry for the kid as he began patting his back, hoping to sooth something for him.

"If you were sick, why did you lie about it?" Levi asked. Eren gasped for air, the first waves of nausea seeming to subside for the time. He leaned his head against the kitchen counter, eyes looking down at the ground through tears so he didn't have to look at his own vomit and make himself sick again.

"I-I'm not sick...!" He gasped, his voice shaking just as much as he was and his knuckles turning white from the grip he had on the counter.

"Really...? Eren, what do you consider sick then?" Levi asked. Eren tried lifting himself up to face the older man, but all of the dizziness had left him weak. Levi was there to catch him when he stumbled forward, his head whacking into Levi's collar bone and all of his weight resting within the man's arms.

Levi hoisted the kid up further, repositioning him in his arms to get a better grip. It wasn't easy though, and despite how little the kid weighed, he was still prominently heavy. Levi had to wrap one arm around the kid's shoulders and the other under his legs like he was carrying a bride just to get a good grip on him.

That's when he felt it.

"Shit, kid, you're burning up with a fever." Levi said, his hands feeling the heat of his fever burning through his clothes.

"I'm not sick..." Eren muttered, but just the scratchiness to his voice was enough of a giveaway.

"Bull shit. Come on; you need to lie down." Levi told him and lowered Eren back onto his legs. Eren was able to hold himself up now, enough to stumble over to the living room and fall into the recliner. Levi helped him settle into the chair, placing a blanket over him and pulling out the leg rest before going to the bathroom to get the thermometer he kept in the medicine cabinet.

He came back with it already turned on, wasting no time with putting it in Eren's ear and holding down the button. There was a couple of moments of silence, Eren quietly glaring at Levi and daring him to deem him sick again. Levi ignored it though, only moving to read the screen after it beeped to show that it was done.

"Ninety-nine point nine. I don't know about you, but that sounds like a fever to me." Levi said while showing Eren the LCD screen. Eren frowned, his eyes looking away and to the floor like he was being punished.

So much for not being sick.


	7. Body Heat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am low and scum for doing such a terrible job at updating lately, but I have an excuse! Can't say it's good or bad, but it's an excuse! You see, in four/five days, I graduate from cosmetology school. I'll be done soon, and then I can relax a bit. ^^ Well, until conventions that is. Katsucon, Zenkaikon, Anime Matsuri (Let's see how badly I embarrass myself in front of Reika this time. Instead of using my body as a giant bored to trip over, let's see what she trips over next), and Otakon. But hey! I have some time in between! Right? ... Right? ^^'
> 
> A big thanks to Lady Mari chan for another beta read! :D
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 7: Body Heat**

* * *

One hundred and two point six degrees. That's what the LCD screen read.

Eren's fever was getting worse.

Levi sighed, setting the thermometer down on the side table before turning his attention back to Eren. He pulled the blankets up high, tucking them under Eren's chin and around his body to make sure he would stay warm, but it didn't seem to help any. Eren was still a shivering mess. His body was burning with a terrible fever, yet he kept complaining that he was cold. Levi remembered getting a cold once or twice with those same symptoms, so he knew what the kid was going through. Unfortunately he knew what would make him feel better, and that was just having to bear through it until the worst of it passed.

"You need to drink some of this, Eren. It'll help." Levi said and motioned to the bowl of ramen he had made for the kid not too long ago. Eren shook his head though, his teeth chattering. "Yes, Eren. If not then you need to drink more water. You have to flush out your system."

"N-No..." Eren retaliated.

"Are you trying to kill yourself, kid? If you don't drink something, then I'll take you to the hospital and they'll force fluids into you. I've had tubes shoved down my throat before, Eren. It's not the most comfortable of feelings." Levi tried to scare the kid, but that didn't seem to work. Eren only coiled further into the blankets, small whimpers leaving him when he lost that warm spot he had.

"I-I've been through w-worse..." He whispered. Levi scoffed before picking up the bowl of ramen. He wasn't going to let it sit there on the table and get cold.

"Is there anything you  _do_  want, and preferably something healthy?" Levi asked, prepared to put the food back in the kitchen, but he was stopped when Eren's hand grabbed at the back of his shirt. Levi looked over his shoulder, finding Eren shaking in place from the cold brushing his arms. He moved back under the blankets quickly, but it was too late. The cold found its places to hide under the blanket, leaving Eren a shivering mess. Levi wasn't sure if Eren was red from embarrassment or from his fever anymore.

"What's wrong? Do you want to eat now?" Levi asked and set the food back down. Eren shook his head, pulling the blankets up more to find warmth. "What's wrong then...?"

"... W-Will you lie down with m-me?" Eren asked while his teeth chattered.

"Why...?"

"Because I'm c-cold! Consider myself desperate, p-please." Eren tried hiding his face away, but that meant opening up the blankets and risking the cold air touching his body.

"Eren, I don't think me lying in the chair with you is going to do anything." Levi explained.

"Please!" Eren exclaimed. "It doesn't have to be long... I'm just so cold..." Eren's shivering got worse, and Levi cursed at himself for how weak willed he had become over the years.

The older man set the bowl of food down on the side table before motioning for Eren to move over and make room for him. When he didn't move over, Levi was ready to question his actions, but came to the answer all on his own. Eren was too weak to move over, too cold, tired, and hungry to even try.

Damn him.

Levi sighed before lifting the blankets just a little to crawl in next to him. Eren quickly protested to the cold, but Levi covered them both up quickly enough, scooping Eren into his arms so he could make room for the both of them. He expected some sort of retort for this act, some teenage sarcasm to his behavior, but that never came. When Levi finally situated the two of them on the small recliner, Levi taking up most of the space with Eren lying against his chest, Levi leaned his head back to see why the kid had gone so quiet.

What he saw from the kid wasn't what he expected at all.

Eren had his green eyes closed, his head laying against Levi's chest with his nose barely tucked into the man's shoulder. His hand was against his chest, and at some point, though Levi didn't know when, the brunette had tangled his fingers into the collar of the man's shirt, exposing his collar bone. With lips slightly parted to allow his breath to fan against his skin, brunette hair mused against his tan skin, and this weight against his chest made Eren look like a kid, and wasn't that what Eren was? He was just a kid, wasn't he? Eren may have been eighteen, may have done things an eighteen year old shouldn't do, but age of the body didn't mean anything when your mind hadn't matured, and Levi knew that.

His shivering was suddenly gone, but in close proximity, Levi could feel the heat radiating off of Eren's body like he was his own personal heater. A fever like this on an eighteen year old was dangerous, and Levi knew that if his fever didn't break soon, he'd have to take Eren to the hospital. He didn't want to do that, only because he didn't want Eren being sick in the first place. However, if it was needed, then Levi would do it.

He wouldn't make mistakes with Eren.

"Is this better...?" Levi asked, and within seconds, he found the question to be redundant. Eren was out cold. Without the cold getting in the way, without his body shaking uncontrollably and his teeth chattering to keep him up, Eren finally had the chance to sleep, and Levi wasn't going to wake him up.

If only the kid hadn't fallen asleep on him.

Levi sighed, his free arm moving under the blanket until he could touch Eren's shoulder where he could feel the heat of Eren's body even through his shirt. It didn't matter how thick it was; the fever was just that bad.

"Stupid brat," Levi muttered, his hand moving up to his neck. The insult was missed completely by Eren, but after some of the things Levi had called him, the older man was sure the brat wouldn't care.

His fingers brushed against the nape of his neck, Eren's hair soft and running against his fingers. Levi's hand moved on its own, moving up the back of Eren's head to the top and messing up his hair a little. He frowned when noticing the greasy texture it had, but that didn't stop his fingers from messing around with his bangs, twirling the longer strands of hair around his fingers before tossing them away. His fingers, probably colder in temperature compared to the rest of his body (though it wasn't waking up Eren), brushed against his cheek. The touch was gentle, enough for him to feel it, but not enough to startle the teen from the sleep he desperately needed.

Eren shifted, a soft sigh leaving him as he moved around, but only a little. His head rubbed against the older man's chest, his fingers curling tighter into Levi's shirt with an iron grip. Levi didn't even need to touch his hand to know that Eren's grip was strong. He could tell just by seeing the tendons extend under his skin.

Levi touched the back of his hand trying to get the tension in his muscles to relax. He grip was unbelievably tight, but after a few moments, it loosened to the older man's will. Levi tilted his head a little as Eren's hand went limp, but his finger tightened within Levi's own, as if trying to grip at his hand.

This kid had to be hallucinating.

* * *

Levi woke up to the worst possible thing; the sun burning his eyes. He groaned to himself and lifted up his hand, trying to cover his eyes, but it didn't help much. The only reason the sunlight stopped burning his vision to black was because his eyes eventually adjusted, and Levi came to find that it wasn't as bright as he once thought it was. The light had been seeping in through an opening in the curtains as the sun rose, making Levi question what time it was, or even what  _day_  it was. He was sure it was rather dark when he fell asleep; having been nursing Eren all day yesterday, but after that, everything else was a blank.

Had he slept through the whole night?

Levi huffed, his arm falling back against the recliner. He moved to sit up, but the weight against his chest protested greatly. The older man leaned back, looking down to see Eren still laying on his chest, head secured on his shoulder and his hand still trapped in Levi's. Last night, if it was even last night anymore, came back to Levi quickly, the situation Eren was facing being reminded to Levi.

He sat up again, slightly this time, just enough for Eren to slide onto the chair, but he was still lying against his arm. Levi shook his hand free from Eren's firm grasp to press his hand into Eren's forehead, his cheek, and then his neck, feeling the sweat along his tan skin. Levi sighed.

His fever finally broke.

Levi sat back, pulling Eren back against his chest to keep him warm, though Eren probably didn't need it anymore. When Eren was safely tucked back into his chest, Levi reached back to the side table and grabbed the thermometer he had left there some time ago. He turned it on, pressed it into Eren's ear and held down the button. After a few quiet moments, it beeped, letting Levi know that it was done. He pulled it back, and he could have sighed again at the numbers on the screen.

Ninety-nine point two. It was still a low grade fever, but it was a lot better than what he had before. Levi set the thermometer back down on the table before going back to lying on his side, his arms wrapped around Eren and keeping him close. Levi noted the difference to Eren's body, how cool he felt compared to before, though the kid was disgusting with all of the sweat. When he got the chance, Levi was shoving Eren into the tub and scrubbing him down until he was raw, but that was for another time. For now, all he could do was lie here and relax.

It wasn't like he had a choice. His arm was trapped under Eren, keeping him bolted to the chair for as long as Eren was asleep.

"Mmf..." Eren made a noise as he shifted in his sleep, and Levi was relieved when he saw his green eyes blink open unsteadily. Ha waited patiently, watching Eren blink away the blur of sleep and sickness from his eyes.

"Morning, sunshine," He greeted sarcastically. The brunette's gaze drifted up to him, his vision unsteady and blurry. He made a face of disgust, but Levi figured that this face wasn't solely directed to him, but to how he felt at the time being. "How are you feeling?" He bothered to ask.

"... Like shit." Eren answered, his voice sounding much like how he felt. Levi could hear the congestion from his tone alone, and when Eren took a deep breath in, the older man heard it all clogged up in his lungs.

"You sound like shit." Levi said. Eren rolled his eyes, but the action proved to be more nauseating than he thought it would, and he made a mental note not to do it again. "Your fever broke sometime last night. Are you feeling any better?"

"A little... Still cold." Eren continued to mumble.

"Hate to break it to you, kid, but this was a onetime thing. You need to be in your bed and resting tonight, not here." Levi told him, but Eren didn't seem displeased by the motion. "Besides, sleeping in a recliner isn't good for you. I can already feel this damn kink in my neck." He added and rubbed at the back of his neck, feeling the stiff muscles under it.

Eren smiled to himself, a little too pleased to be hearing about Levi's pain. The smile only faded after a few quiet moments, his mind wandering off as he got lost in thought.

"You said we slept through the night?" Eren asked, looking up at Levi with big, green eyes.

"Yeah, at least I think so. I remember it being dark before I fell asleep." Levi replied.

"Oh..."

"Why...?" He asked.

"Nothing," Eren answered and moved to sit up. It took him a bit of time to do it, a few stumbles and curses, but he managed to get himself up onto shaking arms before he could lean himself against the head rest of the chair.

"You were thinking that you'd be back with Armin by now?" Levi considered.

That pushed the boundaries too much.

Eren shot him a glare and turned away, trying to get as much space between them as he could on the little chair. It wasn't easy though, only leaving him with a few inches of space and freezing cold climbing up his back.

"Fuck off," He bit out, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot that he's a sore subject for you." Levi said as he stood from the chair.

"He's not a sore subject for me!" Eren barked, turning to face Levi, but he was careful not to upset his body and making the world spin.

"If he wasn't, then you wouldn't be yelling and cussing me out." The older man mentioned with a cocked hip.

"I miss him! Is it so wrong for me to want him back?" The brunette inquired.

"Eren, if you miss him so much, why don't you tell me where he is?" Levi continued. To this, Eren's eyes widened some. "Eren, tell me where he is. I'll go get him for you personally, and then you won't have to worry about him anymore. All of this would be over."

"... You don't understand..." Eren muttered.

"What am I not understanding?" Levi asked. Eren looked away while biting the inside of his cheek. He looked like he wanted to say it, like he wanted to tell Levi, and Levi could see it in the kids green eyes, but he couldn't, or he wouldn't say it.

Like he wasn't  _allowed_ to tell _._

"Nothing..."

"Eren, is your pimp threatening you or something? Is that why you can't tell us anything?" Levi asked, trying to catch Eren's eye, but the teen wouldn't look at him. "Eren, he can't get to you anymore. You're safe with us."

"You don't understand." Eren growled. Levi sighed before getting up from the chair. With a passing glance to the kid, he turned away, his eyes falling to the bowl of ramen that hadn't been touched.

"You're right. I don't understand... So why don't you help me understand?" Levi suggested. Eren shook his head and forced himself up from the chair. He tugged the blanket with him, and on shaking legs, Eren trudged down the hallway. Levi waited until he heard Eren's bedroom door shut before he sighed, his hand rubbing against his forehead.

This kid was such a hassle.

* * *

Since Eren was sick, their trip to the grocery store was postponed. Levi said they'd have to save it for later when Eren was feeling better, because Levi wasn't leaving the brat alone in his apartment. How stupid did the brunette think he was?

Though Levi didn't have much in the likes of food in his place, but he had medicine, and he made sure Eren downed a spoonful of fever reducer, a spoonful that Eren said tasted like shit. Levi couldn't disagree with him on that one. He'd rather brave horse sized pills than take the liquid version of it, but he had done that plenty of times. That's why the liquid version was all he had left, and that's why Eren had to take it.

Levi assured him it was fine though. The bottle was a weaker form of the pill, so it wouldn't be too much for the kid, even after Eren gaged most of it up. Levi didn't appreciate about seventy-five percent of it ending up on the floor.

After that, it fell quiet in the apartment. Levi allowed Eren to hide in his room, sulk, and be sick while Levi scrubbed down everything. He refused to be sick, because if Eren had the audacity to cover his head with a pillow in his sleep, who knew what Eren would do while he was sick, defenseless, and unable to fight him off.

He scrubbed at the sink first, considering that was where Eren lost his lunch. He had to go and re-clean all of the dishes, and even went and cleaned the dishes that hadn't been touched in puke. He couldn't take any chances. He let everything soak first though, because he wasn't about to go and put his hands in the brat's stomach acid. He'd rather take a bullet to the ass then do that.

While they soaked, he went around with a disinfectant and sprayed the chair, the floors, and just about anywhere else he had touched. That was only the first step though. He needed to go back with another spray he had and wipe everything down. If he wasn't afraid to lose the color of his furniture, he'd go in with bleach and do it the old fashioned way.

As he went about the first step, the spray so loud in the room compared to anything else, he could hear Eren within his room. He wanted to leave him alone, figuring that the kid was crying or sobbing and probably wanted to be left alone. He  _wanted_  to do that, but the sounds in the room didn't sound like crying, or even whimpering.

It sounded like he was talking.

Levi couldn't help the curiosity. Who was Eren talking to, if not with his self? No one had come to see them, and unless someone climbed three stories to go through the window, he didn't see the possibility of Eren talking to anyone else.

Maybe Eren really was talking to himself. Maybe Eren was a little psychotic, and Levi wouldn't blame him if he was, not after the life he had lived.

There was only one way to find out though, and that was to intervene on the brat's conversation and find out what was going on, who he was talking about, and what he was talking about.

So Levi set his stuff down and quietly snuck his way over to Eren's door. He wasn't going to be dumb about this and barge right in; of course not. He needed to at least hear who it was he was talking to, to find out if Eren was crazy or if someone was in there with him.

While pressing his ear to the door, Levi listened to the stillness in the room. It was hard to hear through the wooden door, but the wood was thin and hallowed out on the inside, making it just enough for him to make out what he was saying.

"They separated Mikasa and I. She's staying with that one cop, Hanji, and I'm staying with Levi. I took his phone while he was sleeping."

Levi waited quietly, his hearing fine tuning the white noise to Eren's voice. He was looking for another voice, another whisper, some indication that someone else was in the room, but he didn't hear anything.

Unconsciously, Levi reached back and felt for his phone usually in his back pocket. With a bit of shock, Levi found all of his pockets to be empty, and with even more shock, he realized that the brunette had taken his phone at some point, but when? Levi would have noticed it if a hand were to sneak back there and grab at his phone.

Unless he was asleep when Eren did it.

Had Eren woken up before he did? Had he taken his phone so he could talk to the person on the other line, and who was this person anyway? Was it his pimp?

"I'm sure she's okay. They want our trust, and they're treating us nicely to gain it... Well, my guy doesn't do that anyway. Mikasa is staying with someone kind of...  _Crazy_ , but she's nice."

If it wasn't his cellphone, Levi would be using his phone to track the call. He had to track that call, because he needed to find out where the other person on the line was. He had to help Eren, even if it meant by force.

Eren didn't know who or what he was truly dealing with.

"Are you eating at least? I mean, we still have that money Levi gave us, right? You could use-... Oh, yeah. That too."

Why would Eren sound worried for his pimp? He sounded almost overprotective of the bastard.

Unless he wasn't talking to his pimp.

"No, that's not it. I just... I just wanted to say happy eighteenth birthday while I've got the chance..."

He was talking to Armin.

"Eren...!" Levi shouted and slammed the door open. He needed to get to his phone so he could trace the call. He needed to find out where Armin was, and he needed to do it now.

Eren jumped in place when his door slammed open. Still sitting on the bed, Eren stared up at him with wide eyes that were red from emotions that must have been plaguing him with this conversation. Just like he figured, his cell phone was up to the brunette's ear, but Eren's hand was already moving over the screen to end the call. Levi lunged out to grab it before he could, but Eren's reflexes were faster than he anticipated.

"Don't-!"

He was already too late, and the syllables left his lips long after it. Not only did Eren hang up, but he chucked the phone into the wall. It seemed to be in slow motion as Levi watched the device hit the wall, break apart into several pieces, and fall to the ground. He ran towards that instead, falling to his knees to pick up the parts and see if it was at all fixable.

However, it wasn't just the battery pack that had separated from it. The screen was cracked and breaking, glass falling off of the phone and onto the floor. The buttons were loose, with some popping off, and the edges, the linings that held the phone together, were slipping off. With the screen black, it was a sure sign that the phone was dead.

It wasn't gone just yet though. He could still track that number. He could still find out where Armin was by looking through the caller history and finding where he called from. He just needed to get the technical squad to repair his phone and get the number back. Hell, screw the phone.

He just needed that number.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Eren?" Levi barked at him and looked over his shoulder to glare at the teen, but instead, he found that Eren was now standing from his bed, his arms wrapped tightly around himself, one hand covering his mouth.

This time, Eren wasn't hiding his tears. They were falling relentlessly in big, fat, and thick droplets that drenched his skin. The hand covering his mouth was muffling the better part of a scream, one that sounded tired, congested, and downright defeated.

Eren fell to his knees in front of the man and sobbed into his palms, any walls or barriers he usually had up and barely holding the damn now broken down. They would be repaired and put back up soon enough; that Levi was sure of, but for now, all of his defenses were down.

And for what? It wasn't the fact that Eren had been caught that he was crying. He wasn't crying for himself or for the loss of the phone.

He was crying for the loss of his friend.

When Levi thought about it, Eren hadn't seen Armin in two days now, and this was probably the longest the two had been away from each other in a very long time. Today was Armin's eighteenth birthday, a day Eren probably wanted to be there for, and he wasn't. This was probably the only chance he had on talking to Armin, even if only for a moment, and it was cut short when the older man barged in.

He had ruined Eren's only chances of talking with the blond, but what could he do about it? If they could find Armin, he wouldn't be in this much pain.

So why wouldn't he tell them?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I really want to take the time to say thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, follows, and ect to this fanfic. It really means so much to me, and I feel like I've come a long way in the past few years with my writing (It's 2015, whooooaaaa). You guys mean a lot to me, and I really love it when I get positive feedback, even on a fanfic this dark. I really hope you guys continue to like this story, and continue to review, because I love all of it and I love you guys! *holds out arms* Titan sized group hug? :3


	8. Captain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my God, I swear "The Change You Wish to See" will be updated! I sent it to Lady Mari chan, and I'm just waiting to get it back! Internet stinks lately. e_e
> 
> Anyway, you wanted Armin? Here is your Armin. ^^ There won't be any updates next week, because I'll be attending Katsucon 2015! If any of you are there Friday, come check out our 1 on 1 with the Survey Corps panel! We'd love to have you. ^^
> 
> Until next time!
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 8: Captain**

* * *

"Come on, Hitch, there must be something." Levi growled at the curly haired woman sitting at her desk.

"Excuse me, but unless you want to go rifling through your simcard, shut up and let me do my job." The woman said with bite in her tone. Levi was ready to reprimand her for talking to him that way, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"Calm down, Levi." Erwin said to him. Levi crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed, trying to fight back any sarcastic remarks he had. "If you rush her, she could make a mistake."

"Pardon me, but I don't make mistakes." Hitch said and removed her goggles from her face. "You come here to ask me to save the data on your damn phone, and yet you mock me. What the hell do you want from me?"

"All we need is that damn number Eren was talking to Armin with." Levi reminded her.

"Calm down you two. Hitch, please, we need that number." Erwin pleaded with the woman. The dirty blond rolled her eyes and shifted to look at her computer, her fingers hitting a random assort of keys on the keyboard and her eyes scanning the screen. She was muttering to herself about the lack of disrespect and how they had insulted her, how she was the youngest and brightest in her field and she was still being treated this way, but it was the least of their worries.

They just needed the number.

"You said the kid threw your phone, right?" Hitch asked, her fingers moving to scroll through the files on the screen.

"Yes," Levi answered with a nod of his head. "He tossed it against the wall, and it broke apart."

"And these are all of the pieces?" She continued to question.

"Mhm," Levi responded while tilting his head back to Hanji when she popped her bubble gum.

"... Did you have anything important in there previously?" Hitch looked up to him this time, confusion slowly edging its way onto her face.

"What do you mean important?"

"I mean did you have any contacts, emails, addresses, games, and added apps; anything classified as important to you?" The woman corrected.

"Yes, of course I did."

"What's with all of the questions?" Hanji asked her.

"It's all gone." Hitch explained. The three cops shared looks between one another before Levi uncrossed his arms from his chest and stood up.

"What do you mean 'it's all gone?'" He placed his hands on her desk and asked.

"I mean  _it's all gone_. It's like it was restored to its factory settings. If I went and repaired the broken screen and cracked case, I'm pretty much giving you a new phone."

"So Eren destroyed everything in the phone before he threw it?" Erwin muttered questionably.

"Yes. There aren't any cookies, photos, games, user data, or even caller history. None of the important pieces that save all of that stuff were damaged, so he completely wiped out all of the saved information so you wouldn't find that number."

"How in the hell could Eren do that within a split second?" Levi questioned with annoyance. To that, Hitch only shrugged her shoulders.

"Hell if I know."

"Don't these phones have smaller little memory banks that store deleted data?" Hanji asked.

"They do, and I checked it, but like I said, it's like it has been restored to factory settings. There's absolutely nothing left in your phone."

"Fucking hell," Levi groaned and ran his fingers through his fringe. "So it's pointless then? We're just back to square one?"

"It seems to be that way." Erwin regrettably said. Levi fell back into his chair and groaned, his eyes becoming heavy.

Once again, they had no leads. They only had one, and it was that damn number, but Eren was so stubborn and persistent. Now they had nothing, and now they had to start all over again.

The only way they could get to Armin was through Eren and Mikasa, but Mikasa wouldn't answer any questions, and Eren would become defensive as if they had seriously insulted him.

What was it Eren was protecting that was more important than Armin? Was he really being threatened so he wouldn't rat them out?

What if it was Armin's life being threatened?

After a few moments of silence, Hitch finally broke it. She held up a small piece of metal, or what looked to be metal. She and everyone else in the room knew what it was, but its placement there in his phone was a mystery to her.

"Captain Levi, are you aware that your phone was bugged?" Hitch asked while showing him the bug.

"Yes. Erwin put it in there years ago." The older man explained. The curly haired woman gave the blond man a questionable look.

"Oh really...?"

"Stop it. Hanji and Gunther have them too." Levi reprimanded her while glaring.

"Why only you? Why do you even have them in there?"

"A good portion of the cops in the precinct are trained officers who have been hoping to do this since they could shit without a diaper. However, equally there are a number of us with questionable backgrounds, people like me. We're the misfits Erwin took in and raised into who you see today." Levi explained.

"Oh...? And what kind of bad things did a misfit like you do?" Hitch asked with her trademark mischievous grin, her hands placed under her chin, and leaning forward in her seat.

"I don't see how that's any of your fucking business." Levi growled.

"Wait," Hitch gasped, her eyes widening and her cheeks splitting with a smile. "No way! You were a prostitute too!" She gasped and fell back in her chair laughing herself into a hysterical fit.

"I wasn't a prostitute." Levi hollered over her laughing. "I had a multitude of things wrong with me, though I won't lie and say I didn't sell my body for some cocaine every now and again."

"Oh my God! I can't handle it!" In her fit of laughter, Hitch fell out of her chair and to the ground, her body hitting her desk and knocking everything over. "You-You were one, and now you're taking care of one! Oh, the irony!"

"She's enjoying this." Erwin said to himself.

"Too much," Levi growled. "Hey, why is that so interesting to you? Why don't you ask about Gunther and why he's got a background?"

"Because the big, bad Captain Levi Ackerman was a fucking prostitute!" Hitch tried getting herself back into her chair, but she only managed to get herself propped up against the desk with her head resting along the edge.

"I already sai-"

"Stop, Levi, she's not going to listen to you." Hanji told him and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Aha, s-so what's your story then?" Hitch asked the woman sitting on her table, to which Hanji simply grinned.

"The only person who knows Hanji's story is Erwin, and I don't think anyone else will ever know." Levi said, but he thought about it again. "My guess is that this crazy bitch was some gang leader or something."

"You may or  _may not_  be close." Hanji spoke up.

"And Gunther's?" Hitch asked.

"A massive drug dealer at the time. He was one of the best until he saw kids getting involved. His biggest thing was keeping children uninvolved, so when it happened, he tried to end everything himself." Erwin explained.

"He wasn't a totally heartless man." Levi told him.

"I never said he was." The blond said.

"So you stuck these bugs in their phones?"

"Like Levi said, it was years ago. It was part of a deal we made together, which was to come clean, be clean, and join the force. It was to listen in on their conversations to make sure they were following those rules." Erwin told the dirty blond.

"I'll be honest. I forgot the damn thing was in there." Levi muttered.

"So did I." Erwin half-heartedly laughed.

"Isn't bugging their phones illegal though?" Hitch asked while poking at the scraps that were once Levi's phone along the desk.

"Never said it wasn't." Erwin said.

"Do you think the bug still has their conversation on it?" Hanji asked, attempting to drive the conversation back towards the task at hand.

"If it wasn't damaged, then sure. It isn't an original portion of the phone, so it should still have everything on there."

"How long would it take you to do it?" Levi asked. "A few days?"

"Psh," Hitch scoffed and pulled the memory card from the bug. "Watch me be a pro."

"Shouldn't be that hard," Hanji mumbled under her breath. Hitch began typing into her computer, her eyes practically glued to the screen like her life depended on it. After many clicks of the mouse and some grumbling from Hitch's side, the woman leaned back into her chair with a grin.

"Captain, did you have any other conversations on your phone today?" She asked.

"No," Levi responded.

"Then this should be their conversation. Taken at eleven thirty-two a.m. On Thursday." She said. The three officers stood and moved closer, eyes on her, hearts racing, blood rushing into their ears as she began clicking on the file she spoke of. There was a pause, her computer taking a moment to load up the file before a screen opened up.

_"... Hello?"_

Attention became stiffened quickly, bodies moving forward as if that would help improve their hearing.

Levi had been right. That was definitely Armin.

_"Armin...?"_

_"Eren...?"_ At the realization of who it was, they could hear the broken sobs come from the blond.

_"No, no, Armin, don't cry."_

_"Oh God, are you okay? Eren-"_

_"Shh, it's okay, Armin. I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."_

_"I-I hate this, Eren!"_

_"What's wrong? Is he hurting you, Armin?"_

To that, there was a pregnant pause.

_"Eren..."_

_"Did he touch you? Armin, come on. Tell me what's going on."_

_"No, h-he hasn't touched me. He hit me though."_

_"Hit you where? Fuck, Armin, are you okay?"_

_"I-It's just a small bruise-"_

_"Armin-!"_ Eren sounded very angry at this, but they could hear him take a heavy breath to relax himself.  _"Where...?"_

_"My jaw... He only hit me once though. He left after that."_

_"Shit, I should be there for you."_

_"Eren, where are you now? H-How are you even calling me?"_

_"They separated Mikasa and I. She's staying with that one cop, Hanji, and I'm staying with Levi. I took his phone while he was sleeping."_

_"You mean Mikasa's uncle? They're letting you do that?"_

_"Hanji said she didn't want me in a bad environment."_

_"Oh..."_

_"Armin, I swear, as soon as I get the chance, I'm coming back for you, okay?"_

_"What about Mikasa?"_

_"I-I don't know yet. I'm trying to figure that out. I just know I'm coming for you. I won't let you stay there longer than you have to. We'll get out of this together."_

_"How though...? If Levi is watching you..."_

_"I'll get away from him. He can't stay awake forever."_

_"Don't push yourself though, Eren. You have to sleep too."_

_"I'll be fine, Armin."_

_"What about Mikasa? Is she okay?"_

_"I'm sure she's okay. They want our trust, and they're treating us nicely to gain it... Well, my guy doesn't do that anyway. Mikasa is staying with someone kind of... Crazy, but she's nice."_

Levi recognized where this conversation was going.

_"That's good. I'm glad to hear you're being taken care of at least. I can sleep a little better now."_

_"Are you eating at least? I mean, we still have that money Levi gave us, right? You could use-..."_

_"I have the money you were saving too..."_

_"Oh, yeah. That too."_

_"Eren, it's not like I'm not happy just to hear your voice, but... W-why are you calling me? W-Was it just to check on me?"_

_"No, that's not it. I just... I just wanted to say happy eighteenth birthday while I've got the chance..."_

_"Oh Eren..."_

_"Eren...!"_ Levi's voice in the background sounded.

It fell silent after a click.

"That's where it ends." Hitch said and closed the screen.

"Eren was planning on running away with his family before we took them into custody." Hanji mumbled, her eyes wide from the conversation they had heard, realization dawning on her.

"More importantly, we now know that Eren is a flight risk. He's still trying to leave at any cost it takes." Erwin said lowly, like it was a life threatening matter.

"I won't let him." Levi spoke up and said.

"Levi...?" Erwin asked.

"If he wants to see his family again, he needs to tell me where Armin is. Until then, if he thought I was bad before, he's about to get a rude awakening." Levi stuffed his hands into his pockets and turned away.

"So does this mean you don't want your phone back?" Hitch asked him as he opened the door to the room.

"Keep it. I'll get a new one." Levi waved it off like it was nothing as he walked back into the main office where everyone was, including Eren, who was surrounded by most of the officers there. It wasn't to keep a close eye on him. Oh no, of course that wasn't it. That would have been too easy.

It was more like a very ill planned interrogation.

"You better keep your filthy paws off of Levi if you know what's good for ya." Oluo warned while glaring daggers at the brunette who dared to stand up to him.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Eren asked, his hands balling up into fists.

"Alright you two, that's enough now." Petra warned them. "This is not the time, nor the place to be doing this."

"I don't mind going outside." Oluo said.

"Sounds like a great plan." Eren agreed.

"Alright, enough with the rise in testosterone levels." Levi called out to them. All eyes fell to him as he walked over to them, but his eyes were on Eren and Eren only, glaring him back down into his chair.

"It's not my fault. He started it." Eren begrudgingly grumbled.

"I don't care who started it. I'm ending it." Levi told him.

"Oh yeah...? And what are you going to do about it,  _Ackerman_?" Eren dared to ask.

It fell oddly silent around him, and Eren felt like he had just crossed a boarder he shouldn't have. Just seeing Gunther and Eld backing up was enough of a warning to say that he had fucked up. However, pride would not be damned today, and he dared to look straight into the older man's grey eyes.

It was only a dare though. He didn't think that he'd be matched with it, or that Levi would grab at the front of his shirt and yank him forward until his face was a mere inch away from the others.

"That's  _Captain Ackerman_  to you, you little shit." Levi growled at him before shoving Eren back into his chair.

"Captain...?" Eren asked while adjusting himself so he wouldn't fall out of it.

"Yeah. It's Captain Levi Ackerman, and this is my squad you're using that disrespectful language towards." Levi explained. "If you keep it up, I'll take Erwin's offer and have you stuck in a jail cell for however long you're here."

"You can't-!" Eren began to argue, but Levi beat him to it.

"Then I suggest you watch your attitude." Levi told him. "Or you'll regret it."

"How so...?" Eren once again foolishly asked. Once again, the signals around him were something to go off of: Gunther clicking his tongue, Eld placing again hand against his forehead, Oluo sneering in delight, and Petra stepping back like something was going to his her. Levi reached out and snatched at his ear, yanking him forward so he was eye level with the man.

"You'll see." Levi hissed and yanked Eren forward. "Now let's go."

"Go where-? Ouch!" Eren yipped as Levi tugged him out of the office.

"Fucking shopping. You don't seem to be sick anymore, so now seems like a good opportunity."


	9. Home Wrecker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so disheartened right now. So that laptop I got for my birthday? Well it's been having issues left and right since I got it. Great thing about Dell tech is that, with the expensive premium insurance, you can abuse Dell technicians until your laptop works, or until they replace it. So I was on the phone with a guy who finally went through my hard drive to check it out. Turns out the hard drive in this 2000 dollar laptop is shot. So he sent a technician to my house to fix it, along with the wifi chip. I'd love to tell you that it's working perfectly now, but I can't, because the new wifi chip is shot and I have no way of accessing the internet on it. How am I talking to you? Through my six year old laptop that I've been relying on since I tried getting a new laptop. I love this laptop. The only reason I'm so bent on getting a new one is, because this one won't last me forever, and it's showing it a lot more recently.  
> ...  
> I don't entirely know why you needed to know that, so... How are you? How has your week been going? ^^'  
> -Misty  
> Song of the day: Yutaka Yamada (Recently got into Tokyo Ghoul. I blame my friend for everything Y_Y) Anyone else interested in Tokyo Ghoul? ^^

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 9: Home Wrecker**

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"I can't go in there," Eren whined while looking up at the tall building that some of the normal, everyday people referred to as a grocery store.

"And why the fuck not...?" Levi asked while unbuckling himself from his seat.

"B-Because there are people in there!" He argued, but Levi simply rolled his eyes.

"Really…? I had  _no_  idea. We're only here to get groceries and underwear for  _you_."

"Wait, not here, no." Eren pleaded with him and moved to look over the front seat. Maybe it was just Levi's imagination, but he swore that the brunette was purposely pouting at him and making his eyes bigger, but for what effect, the older man wasn't sure.

"You could have had Petra get you some." Levi said and stepped out of the car. The brunette fell back into his seat, trying to prolong the inevitable, but he knew it wouldn't last long. Levi opened the back seat door and held it open, waiting for Eren to get out while his foot tapped at the ground.

Eren did after some time, his eyes scanning the area around him, his legs shaking helplessly out from under him, and his hands and fingers fiddling together. Levi shut the door behind him and locked the doors, but his eyes never left the kid. He took note of the shaking, of the fidgety behavior, or the attention to the serious detail around himself. It was a little odd seeing Eren look so...  _Nervous_.

"Eren, what's wrong?" Levi asked as he began walking forward. Eren followed close behind, eyes still darting back and forth to the area around his self.

"N-Nothing..." He mumbled.

"Obviously something is, or you wouldn't be acting like this. Are you afraid that your pimp will see you?" Levi concluded.

"No, he only ever leaves his place to visit us. H-He gets someone else to do his shopping." Eren muttered, but it only took a few seconds after the words left his lips to realize that he had made a mistake. "You didn't hear that..."

"Do you know where his place is?" Levi asked.

"I'm not talking anymore." Eren told him, making Levi sigh in annoyance. If only the kid could do that at home.

"So if it's not your pimp upsetting you, then what's your problem?" He asked the brunette as they walked into the store.

Eren's eyes were instantly everywhere, from the huge amount of people to the cashiers, to the walls lined with variables or everyday needs. He seemed overwhelmed by the sheer amount of it all, and even more questions popped up into Levi's head. For example; when was the last time Eren had ever been in a store? When was the last time he was allowed to walk around free?

Was Levi ever going to get any answers for any of his questions?

"I already said nothing was." Now it seemed like Eren was just as annoyed, or maybe even a little angry despite how confused by the store he was. Levi rolled his eyes at that before grabbing at a cart nearby.

"Whatever you say..." He mumbled and looked over to him. "Now listen, I don't know what it is you like to eat, so you're going to have to fill me in on things I need to buy."

"Like what...?" Eren asked.

"That's what I'm asking you. What do you like to eat?" Levi asked while trying not to be annoyed, though he was failing terribly at it. Eren looked to the ground and to his hands, trying to think up of different things he liked and didn't like.

"Uhm..." He hummed while cleaning under the free edge of his nail.

"If you don't tell me, I'm going to have to buy random things and hope for the best." Levi said.

"... I like fries, and uhm... Chicken nuggets... I like hamburgers so long as they don't have pickles or mustard on them."

"That's all stuff you get at a fast food place." The older man told him.

"Well yeah."

"You didn't have any food of your own before when you were with Mikasa and Armin?" Levi felt like he was just tempting the brunette by asking this, but it was just one small clue that could lead him to many others.

"No," Eren said and shook his head. "Whatever money we made went to him and to food. We don't really know how to cook anything either, so there was just no point to it." He explained. Levi sighed and dropped his head on the hand railing of the cart.

"... So you don't like pickles and mustard?" He asked with his head down.

"I don't like them on hamburgers." Eren said.

"So you like them so long as they aren't on hamburgers?"

"Mhm," For once, there was the tinniest of smiles on Eren's lips, as if hearing about his favorite foods made him happy.

Or a little hungry. Levi wasn't entirely sure when it was Eren last ate.

"Well, that's a start. You like meats and breads." Levi concluded. "Isn't there anything else though? I mean, do you like noodles, bananas, mashed potatoes, or anything along those lines?" Levi asked.

"I... I don't really remember..." Eren mumbled. Levi looked up at the brunette, noticing the distant look in those green eyes of his, and he could only guess why.

Eren had been trapped in a living hell for the past three years of his life. He hadn't had the chance to expand on his options of food, let alone try most of them out. He probably didn't even remember some of the things he used to like, or some of the things his mother and father used to make them. If he did, they were probably junk food to begin with.

"I see..." Levi sighed. "Well, we can start by getting some things that are going to put weight on you. You're too thin." He said while poking the brat's side, eliciting a small yip from him.

"I'm at a good weight, aren't I?" He asked while rubbing his side.

"Hell no. You need twenty more pounds on you if you want to be at a good weight."

"Twenty...?" Eren gaped in surprise. "B-But that's too much!"

"Are you backwards, kid? I'm one hundred and forty three pounds, and do I look fat to you?" Levi asked, and then glared at the kid as if daring him to say that he was fat. Eren seemed surprised though, his eyes looking the older man up and down as they walked through the store. He just couldn't seem to wrap his mind around the idea.

"... You don't show it..." Eren mumbled.

"It's mostly muscle." Levi told him, not using a hint of bragging. "If you eat good food and work out regularly, you'll be at a good and healthy weight."

"Is that what you do?" The teen asked. Levi nodded his head and stopped short of the frozen foods isle to look at the rack of clothes. "What are you doing?"

"You still need underwear. We can get them while we're here." Levi said and made his way into the maze of clothes racks.

"You don't have to get me any." Eren argued as he followed. Levi sneered over his shoulder, trying hard not to bite the poor kids head off.

"Yes I do." Levi uttered. "Let me in on something here. Are you even wearing any now?"

"No," Eren could have  _at least_  been coy or shy about the subject, but he didn't have any problems answering the man without wait.

"Does that mean you don't have any?"

"Not with me."

"So you do have some?"

"At home." Levi stopped by one of the walls covered in packets filled with a variety of undergarments while questions rang through his head.

"You wear them when you're home?" Levi asked as he began scanning through the packets.

"Sometimes, but we aren't supposed to. If he came by and saw us wearing them..."

When he stopped, Levi looked back at him to make sure he was still there. Those green eyes were dark and distant again, as if he was deep in a dangerous memory.

"Does he hit you for doing that?" Levi asked while turning to face him.

"... I wish." Eren mumbled. Levi turned away so he could cringe without the brunette seeing it.

It was disgusting. It was truly disgusting.

What had Eren ever done to deserve any of this? What had Mikasa and Armin done to deserve this?

Did they ever cheat on a test, forget to walk the dog, or not win a game against another team?

After reading reports, besides Eren getting into trouble (that was totally justifiable), they were good kids. Eren was lazy, but he got decent grades. Armin and Mikasa excelled in school, but where Eren lacked in mental strength, he made up for in physical sports. Armin was the brains of the team, though he wasn't much of an active person. He was definitely a charitable person though, constantly devoting his time to volunteer work at a nursing home and shelter for animals.

Which begged the question, why?

What had they ever done wrong?

"Do you know what your size is?" Levi asked, turning the conversation away from that depressing topic it had become and to something a little less than that.

"Huh...?" Eren asked while looking up, obviously previously lost in thought.

"Your size. Your measurements. Do you know what size you wear?" He asked again. Eren looked down at himself, as if his eyes could tell him what his size was just by looking at his waist.

"No, I don't." He answered honestly. Levi sighed before looking for a small size, because Eren was so thin, it would be easy to find something that would fit him. The trouble was making sure it wasn't too big, because then his pants would be falling down his legs, and that wasn't a pretty image. He looked for a size two for starters, something small, and when he found a pack of them, he ripped open the plastic to get at one of the pairs.

"Turn around for me." He instructed. Eren's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he did as told. It wasn't until he felt Levi's hands against his backside that he dared to question the man with panic.

"What are you doing?" He practically yipped while turning around and covering his butt. He found Levi staring up at him with a similar amount of confusion, his hands holding up the underwear he had taken out of the packet like he was sizing them up. It didn't take long for Eren to understand that, that was indeed what he was doing though.

"I need to make sure they fit." Levi stated in a bored tone.

"By putting them against my ass?" Eren asked, a little too loudly for Levi's liking.

"Quiet down, kid. There are kids in the store that don't need to hear that kind of language."

"Meanwhile we were standing here talking about my prostitu-" Before Eren could even finish that sentence, Levi reached up and stuffed the new underwear into the kids mouth. The brunette gagged and spit them out, but the damage had been done, leaving him a coughing mess.

"These should fit you just fine. Let's go." Levi said and turned to leave.

"But I don't like boxers." Eren complained while wiping drool off of his lips. Once again, Levi fell against the railing of his cart, his head resting against his hands and his mind questioning why Petra wasn't the one doing this. She would have enjoyed it a lot more than he did.

"Why didn't you say that before I opened up a perfectly good package of them?" Levi growled in question.

"You didn't ask..." Eren said softly, but there was the tinniest bit of taunting behind it, a bit that Levi wasn't sure if he was hearing correctly or not. He allowed himself to drop his head against his hand a few times before lifting it.

"Well it's too late now. You're going to have to wear those." He said.

"But I don't like boxers." Eren reminded him.

"I heard you the first fucking time, brat."

"You said not to say language like that in front of children." That time for sure there was taunting. Levi found himself grinding his teeth, trying really hard not to bite the kid's head off. He knew what Eren was doing was completely intentional, but oh, he was good at it. He really knew how to get under Levi's skin, and it was very hard for many people to do that.

Levi managed to keep his cool though, instead snatching another packet of underwear off of the wall (briefs this time), and throwing them in the cart after a glance to make sure the size was right.

"There, now can we go?" He asked and turned around, but all he saw was him by himself.

Eren was gone.

Levi spun around again, his eyes searching for brunette hair, tan skin, or green eyes, but he couldn't see them. A kid in his condition couldn't have run off that fast, and Levi would have heard him trying to run had he tried. He would have heard him, would have seen him running away, so where was he? Where did he go?

"Shit, Eren...!" He called out. He hoped for something, for an answer or an indication that Eren was somewhere nearby, but nothing. Not even a sound. It was decided that now it was best to ditch the cart in lieu of finding Eren. "Eren, where are you?"

Eren wouldn't run off, not in a store. It was too open, too big. He couldn't cover a lot of distance in it, not with how weak he was, and not without someone seeing a kid like him. If need be, Levi would run up to the front and tell them to lock the doors so there was no way he could leave.

He wasn't going back to that man. He wasn't. Levi would make sure of it.

"Eren...!"

"Captain Levi..."

Levi all but jumped in place when he heard his name whispered so quietly. He whipped around quickly to yell, because that voice obviously belonged to Eren, but he couldn't see him. It wasn't until he saw green eyes and brown hair poked out from behind one of the changing rooms nearby that he could see the brat, and it wasn't until then that he sighed in relief.

"Fucking hell..." Levi groaned and walked over to him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing? Do you have any idea-!"

"Shh..." Eren hushed him insistently.

"Did you just shush me?" Levi asked incredulously. Eren didn't say anything, opting to nod his head instead. His attention was elsewhere, however, like he was lost in a train of thought. "What are you even doing back here anyway?"

To that, there was no response. Eren's attention was still far away, big eyes looking off in a direction that wasn't Levi's. The older man scoffed before trying to find where it was Eren was looking, his eyes scanning any near possibilities.

It wasn't a very busy day, so it wasn't hard very hard to see what it was the brat was staring at, or rather,  _who_  it was he was staring at. Not far away, standing by a rack of jackets made for kids, was a man who looked to be in his late twenties, maybe early thirties. He was a well-dressed man, dressed in a black and sleek suit and with hair combed back from his face. Levi could picture this man running some big company off in the city, better known as "downtown." Hell, he wouldn't be surprised if the man was the Goddamn president. He fit the description of one perfectly.

"Is that your pimp?" Levi asked and looked at Eren. He got a shake of the head as his answer.

Looking at the kid now, he saw that Eren didn't look at all panicked. He looked curious; if anything else, then maybe a little upset. His eyes were following this man like it was the most important thing for him to do at that moment, like he had to. If Levi had to make a guess, he'd think that this man was important to him in some way, but that was if Eren knew him.

He had to at a certain level, but how?

"... Is he one of your clients?" The older man dared to ask. He waited, and after what felt like an eternity, but only could have been seconds, Eren nodded his head.

"Yes..." Eren mumbled under his breath.

"... Want me to arrest him for you? I could, you know."

"No, no... Don't do that..."

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Levi's attention was drawn back to the man as two little girls ran up to him. He smiled down at them and held out his arms to scoop them up, making (What he concluded was) his daughter's scream and laugh with delight. A woman walked behind them, a pretty, young woman dressed just as nicely as him. She pressed a loving kiss to his cheek as he held his kids, saying something to him that neither of them could catch from where they stood. They didn't know what it was, but all they knew was that he looked happy from it.

"I didn't know he had a family..." Eren mumbled, his eyes looking at his wife and children.

"He never mentioned it?" Levi asked.

"No... I wonder if he ever told her about me..." Eren turned away, his eyes finally falling to the floor. "His wife would be mad... She would have to be."

"If she knew..." Levi reminded him.

"If she knew..." Eren agreed with a slight bob of his head. "… Do you think he ever even told her? I mean, if he did, has she forgiven him...? What if he just never told her...?"

"Eren, unless you go up and ask, you won't get an answer. I can guarantee you'll get one really quickly if you do though." Levi placed a hand against the teen's shoulder, trying to look him in the eye, but Eren's eyes remained glued to the floor. "Brat, tell me what's going through your mind. Help me out here."

He was trying to be thoughtful, but he never really had the opportunity to do so with a victim. Out of other victims he had ever dealt with, most were willing and capable of talking about their experiences about their rapes, and were more than willing to get the bastards in jail as compensation of their torture. Eren was different though, unlike the previous victims.

He was stubborn, persistent, prideful, and spiteful among all others, so dealing with him was dealing with a whole new ballgame that Levi didn't know how to play. He had to learn as he played, and whatever he did would have consequences.

He was just going to have to make sure he played according to Eren's rules. If not, he was never going to get answers out of the kid.

"… What if he doesn't remember...? He was really drunk..." Eren began muttering, the questions more to himself than Levi, but they were still heard.

"That's not what you should be thinking about. Besides, sex is obvious. If he truly doesn't notice it, he's the biggest dipshit you'll probably ever meet."

"Should  _she_  know...?" Eren looked up and asked, his big, green eyes looking into the older man's.

"I can't say for sure. It's their lives, not ours. You can't plague yourself with  _'what if's'_ and  _'should have happened instead of this,'_  because it'll drive you insane." Levi explained to him. "It's not healthy to think that way."

"So what do I do?"

"Stop worrying about it. It's happened and over with, so you can't look back at those things now. What you need to do now is make the decisions you feel you'll regret the least to move forward. Focus on the things that are important to you now and worry about them."

"How though...? I don't..." Eren shook his head, his hands clenching by his sides as he looked away again. Levi sighed before looking over to the nearest coat rack and scanning it. He patted Eren's shoulder before going over to it and grabbing at a coat that looked to be about his size.

"What do you think about this?" Levi asked as he made his way back to Eren.

"Huh...?"

"This jacket. Do you like it?" Levi asked while holding it up to size it against Eren's form. Eren examined it closely, looking at the close stitching against the dark green fabric, or the dark blue and white pieces, like the cuffs or hood.

"Oh... Yeah, I-I guess so..." Eren mumbled. Levi pulled the jacket off of the hook and pulled at Eren to get it on his body. He fumbled with the brunette's hands to get them into the sleeves and then out again, and then adjusting it to sit right on his shoulders.

"How does this fit?" The older man asked. Eren rolled his shoulders around, trying to accommodate the feeling of the jacket around him. "Is it big enough on you? Is it warm enough?"

"Yes, to all of that." Eren ever so lightly joked. Levi nodded his head before grabbing at the tag hanging from the cuff of the jacket and ripping it off. It was enough of an action to spook the kid, his eyes silently questioning the man and his peculiar actions.

"We'll pay for it up front." He told him.

"Why...?" Eren asked. To answer his question, Levi pulled the hood up, covering Eren's face well in the deepness of the fabric.

"Well, we wouldn't want a few marriages ending today, would we? We can hide you, and this way, you won't need to feel so self-conscious about being seen by anyone." Levi explained while adjusting the hood to make sure it hid him well. Eren's mouth opened like he wanted to say something,  _needed_  to say something, but he didn't. Instead, his eyes looked off to the family that wasn't too far away. They had decided to go to the food courts instead, the parents ordering food while their little girl's played on the crane machines.

"… I'm a home wrecker..." Eren whispered, his eyes falling to the floor.

"No," Levi corrected him and adjusted the hood on Eren's head to force Eren's gaze back on his, his hands hanging beside the boy's face. "You're just a kid trying to survive in a world that dealt you the wrong hand."

Eren lifted his eyes, looking deep into the older man's. Levi could see the confusion fluttering through those green eyes, as if Eren was trying to figure him out.

What was it he was trying to figure out? Was he wondering if Levi was lying or telling the truth? Was he trying to figure out if the man was being honest with him?

"Look at them, Eren." Levi instructed softly, his voice dropping to a dull tone. "They're a happy family. If he told her, then obviously they worked it out. If not, it's over his head, not yours. It's all said and done, so stop worrying about something that won't mean much in the next few months, and in the following years after."

"I'm not like you..." Eren told him. "I can't just drop things like you can. I regret so much already..." Eren looked over to the happy family, watching as they began walking away to live their happy lives, hopefully in ignorance.

He truly hoped it was ignorance.

"See, that's where you're wrong." Levi spoke up, pulling Eren's attention back to him. "I don't drop things easily. It's hard for me to do it as well, but I do it now, because I learned from the worst mistakes I could have ever made. I make sure I do it now, because I can't lose any more than what I already lost."

"Something bad happened...?" Eren asked. Levi silently nodded his head and picked up his hand, his eyes not meeting the teens. "What was it?"

"Something you shouldn't worry your head over. Come on; let's go get you some food." The older man said and tugged the brunette forward. Eren followed without another word and not so much as a complaint from him about their connected hands. In fact, Levi thought Eren purposely gripped a little tighter, but that could have been his imagination.

Or maybe not. Maybe Eren didn't want to let go just yet, and that was fine.

He didn't need to let go for a while.

"You know, if you want to, you can cling to me a little more." Levi told him without looking back.

"What for...?" Eren asked.

"To hide. To stay warm. Whichever works for you." Levi explained.

It was just a shot in the dark. He didn't think Eren would take the offer, but it was out there if he wanted it. It was there in case Eren saw another one of his clients and wanted to keep himself a secret. It wasn't much, but it was something Levi could do.

So when he felt Eren's head fall against his shoulder, he could say that he was definitely surprised. He really didn't think Eren would do it, or if he did, whatever it was he would do, so this came as a surprise to him. He was close and personal with him, their hands still tangled together in a mess of fingers, his head against his shoulder to hide.

Somehow, Levi found it funny that this was the Eren he wanted to see more of. He didn't like a brat who spit at him, cussed at him, tried to kill him, or was just too prideful to ask for help. This Eren, a one willing to let his guard down for a few moments and be a kid, was tolerable. Although, if Eren stuck so close to him for too long, Levi wasn't going to be able to walk correctly.

"While I appreciate what you're doing, I'm going to trip on your feet if you keep walking this close to me." Levi said and looked at the head resting against him.

"Sorry..." Eren mumbled, almost  _dejectedly_ , as he lifted his head to step back. Levi rolled his eyes and scoffed before yanking Eren back to him by their connected hands.

"I didn't mean stop all together. I meant find a new position that doesn't require me stepping all over you." He told him.

Eren's eyes looked around, as if trying to figure out what he should do in this position. He was like a helpless little puppy trying to climb stairs. He was just trying to find ways around the giant walls and climb them an easier way, but he wasn't coming up with any ideas. There was no other way to do this as far as Eren could tell, unless he  _wanted_  Levi stepping all over his feet. Levi couldn't have been sure.

"You're hopeless..." Levi muttered before tugging Eren back close to him and pulling his head back down to his shoulder.

"I thought you didn't want to step on me." Eren questioned quietly, though he didn't mind hiding his face back into Levi's shoulder.

"It's a chance I'm willing to take."

_"Gee, thanks..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just recently I was like, "Why are people saying this? Can't they see the amount of cuddling Eren and Levi are doing?" And then I realized I've written three chapters more than this, and that I'm so used to what I've written recently that I'm not here anymore, so... Cuddles here and some more to come. :3


	10. Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wanna know what I forgot to mention last week? Okay, so while I was at Katsu, I got to meet Mathew Mercer, the English Dub voice actor for Levi. While I was at a voice acting panel, I got a recording of him saying "I love you, Eren," in his own special way. I actually got it twice. The first time I did it, he did a "reenactment" of the court room scene, which was wonderful, but my damn thumb covered my microphone just as he said I love you and blurred it. So later I had him say it again. XD Those video's are floating around my tumblr somewhere, lost behind other videos and reblogs, but if you'd like to see them, you're more than welcome to. :3 Just know that there are three videos, one recorded by someone else and two of them mine, so you'll have to scroll around some for all three. ^^
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Flower
> 
> By: Junsu (This song is perfection. I can't even... owo)

**Lost Cause**

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**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

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**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

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**Chapter 10: Nightmares**

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Screaming.

It was everywhere.

It was all he could ever hear.

In his dreams, when he was awake, and it was everywhere all of the time.

_'Help me...'_

_'Don't touch me...'_

_'Leave me alone...'_

Why wouldn't the voices leave him alone? Why did they decide to plague him all day, every day, and even into the night?

They were louder this time; louder, precise, and blood curdling. He could hear them deep into his bones. They were loud and obnoxious and making his stomach turn like he could vomit, and they wouldn't stop.

Louder and  _louder._  It was getting harder to ignore. There was no way he could ignore this. It was impossible. It was unlike any of his other dreams.

He just needed to wake up. He just needed to open his eyes and wake up.

So he did.

Levi forced his eyes open, surroundings and sounds around him dull, but amplified by his terrible nightmares. His knuckles were white from his tight grip on his pillow, his breathing was labored and weak and everything around him was dark.

That didn't help him at all. It was too dark in his room, and his only salvation was the light seeping in through the curtains outside. Then there was the light from the hallway, but he could only see it from the crack under the door.

Even with his eyes open and the dim lighting, however, they were still there. Those terrible, mind breaking screams were there and louder than ever. It was almost as if they weren't even his nightmares, but actual screams. It was as if someone was truly screaming, but who would be screaming at such a late hour, and screaming in such a way that they sounded like they were being murdered?

It wasn't possible for a person to scream like that, but then Levi realized that he was no longer the only person in his apartment. He was no longer by himself, and that, doubled with the painful screams made him realize that these weren't from his nightmares.

They were real.

"Shit,  _Eren...!_ " He shot up from his bed, ignoring the way his body protested or the way his vision darkened and blurred around the edges to find Eren.

This wasn't right. This wasn't right at all. What could be happening to him that would make him cry out that way? It sounded like something from a horror movie, and Levi didn't even want to think about what concepts could be inflicting such screams.

Had someone broken into his apartment? Was Eren screaming as a means to get attention, to get help? Was he being beaten, tormented, raped, or was someone even trying to murder him? Levi couldn't even think of the outcome.

There was only one way to find out though, and that was to get to Eren.

It wasn't hard. Eren's bedroom door was cracked open already, leading Levi to where he was. When he pushed the door open, letting it fly into the teen's dark room, it wasn't hard to spot Eren in his bed, his body thrashing back and forth, his head tossing around, and his hands gripping at the sheets like they were life lines.

He was the only one in the room; however, that didn't stop the crying that left his lips and broke his voice, tortured his throat. Levi could hear it in the way his tone cracked and his voice wavered. The screaming alone was enough to hurt him.

Being alone like this though, with no one else in the room besides a drowsy Levi and a still sleeping Eren, it was easy to see what the sources of his screams were.

He was having a nightmare.

"Eren...!" Levi yelled over his frantic crying and thrashing. He managed to wedge himself onto the side of the bed, a spot where Eren's legs weren't kicking at, and grab at his arms.

Looking down at him, he noticed the way Eren's eyes were closed tightly, though tears still flowed freely past his eyelids. His bottom lip was bitten and bleeding, possibly without him even being aware. He was still asleep though.

If Levi didn't know any better, he would think that this was no regular nightmare, but a night terror instead. However, Eren was still in bed, still managing to keep himself there and not bolting upright and running around like someone was following him with a knife. Levi didn't doubt that it wouldn't escalate to that if he didn't do something soon though.

"Eren, wake up!" He yelled and pinned his wrists into the bed. Eren's frantic thrashing for freedom only turned worse, his body suddenly arching in an attempt to break free. His lower limbs flew around, knocking against the bed and the wall; anywhere they could reach they hit. Levi's stomach was just the perfect target.

He got the air knocked out of him quickly, but that didn't deter his grip. He wasn't going to let this stop him, not unless he wanted something more important and vital kicked next. He had to wake Eren up, because he couldn't leave the poor kid like this. He couldn't be in this position alone.

"Come on, brat!" Levi relinquished his grip on the boy's thin arms, but only so he could cup his palms around the boy's tear stained cheeks. Eren's hands, now free from restraints, lashed out and hit at him. His nails scrapped away at the skin of his arms and neck, of his shoulders and lower back, even through his shirt, but Levi wasn't giving up. He wasn't going to leave Eren like this.

Eventually, his hands settled against Levi's upper arms. His nails dug into his skin, leaving long, red streaks in their wake, and where his nails didn't reach, he clung onto his shirt instead. Yes, it was painful, but like this, he could have a good grip on him without scaring him. Like this, he could also feel Eren's grip slowly weakening as well.

He was waking up.

"Come on, come back to me." Levi whispered in a hushed and gentle tone. "You're okay now. You're alright..."

Green eyes eventually opened, and another flood of tears followed. His hands fell weak against the bed on either side of his head, giving Levi a chance for his body to recover from the damage that had been dealt. He pulled Eren up by the back of his neck and to his chest where he stayed, head pressed against his chest, face securely snuggled into his neck, and body shaking against his own. Like this though, it was enough to be deemed safe.

"It was just a nightmare. You're safe now." Levi whispered against the top of his head. The teen's arms lifted, his hands falling to rest against his forearms so he could cling to him. Levi winced, but otherwise ignored the stinging pain that came from Eren touching his newly acquired flesh wounds. He wasn't going to mention them now.

That was when the real crying began. It wasn't just crying out of fear or sadness, but crying from relief. He was awake and out of that hell, and whatever it was he dreamt was enough to have him screaming in his sleep, so Levi could imagine that he was happy in some manner.

Levi tucked Eren closer into his body and sat up, bringing the brunette with him. Eren didn't make any complaints, only wrapped his arms around his shoulders so he could be lifted into a sitting position. Like this, Eren's head could even rest further on his shoulder, and Levi could feel the tears soaking in through the fabric of his night shirt.

"Shh, don't cry. It's okay now. It was just a nightmare." Levi whispered as he began rocking them back and forth. He rubbed tiny circles on Eren's back with one hand, the other carding fingers through his hair, damp from sweat, to calm him down.

Yes, if Levi truly didn't know any better, he'd think that he had a night terror instead, but people generally didn't remember the dreams they have when it came to night terrors. If that was the case, Eren wouldn't be crying like this. He wouldn't be clinging to him like this, like he had lost someone important. Levi didn't mind it at all, but he also knew that this was no usual nightmare.

"Breathe for me, Eren. I need you to take slow, deep breaths..." Levi instructed and tried to sit back to see his face, but Eren was so attached to him that it wasn't possible to get any space between them. Levi scratched at the back of his head and sighed, trying to think of a possible way to get him something, but he didn't see any results that didn't end in Eren screaming bloody murder at him. He could always try though. "Stay here for a moment. I'll go get you some wate-"

"No!" Eren's reaction was instant and violent, just as the older man had predicted. His arms tightened around his shoulders, his face pressed deeper into his neck, and more tears seemed to stain his shirt. "No, don't leave me alone!"

"Okay, okay! I won't, Eren, I won't..." Levi wrapped his arms around his waist and held them there, making sure he didn't upset Eren further.

"Please don't go..." Eren pleaded weakly beside his ear.

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here with you, I promise." Levi told him. He needed to move Eren though. It was too dark in his room, and even a bit too cold. He needed to be somewhere more open with better lighting, but Eren wouldn't even let him go for a moment to turn on the lights. "Come on..."

Levi pulled the blankets off of Eren's legs, but most of them had been thrown off already. He wrapped his arms around the boy's thighs and pulled, slowly lifting him up from the bed. Eren got the message quick enough and tucked his legs in, making sure they didn't hit anything as Levi carried him out of the room.

The hallway light was still on, a little too bright for their sensitive eyes, but the living room was pitch black. Levi could only make out the outlines of things, which was enough for him to turn on a lamp on its lowest setting. It wasn't too bright at all, but enough for him to see where the couch was and set Eren down on it.

"There you go..." He whispered. Eren finally lifted his head just to look around, and Levi was a little surprise just to see how bad he looked. His eyes were red, puffy, and swollen. His skin was damp and blotched red from crying, and his nose was dripping of snot, which Levi tried his hardest not to cringe at. "Let me go get you some tissues or something." Levi started, but it was enough to have Eren back into another fit.

"No...!" He cried and tightened his grip on Levi's shirt.

"I'll be right there in the kitchen, Eren. You can still see me."

"No, no..." Eren shook his head and shivered.

"Eren, I'm right there. I'm only going to get you something to wipe your nose with. It won't take me any longer than thirty seconds, not even that." He told him. Eren's grip tightened painfully, but after a few moments, it loosened again. His hands reluctantly let Levi go, and the older man patted at his head before walking off to the kitchen.

He did exactly as he said he would do, grabbing at some paper towels from the rack, and even sneaking a cup of water into the mix. He came back under fifteen seconds, he even counted just to make sure he didn't break his promise with Eren, and sat back down beside him. Eren's hands took the cup when it was offered, but they were shaking so bad that Levi took it back from him. He wiped Eren's nose off first, telling him to blow so he could clear his sinuses. Eren did, and again Levi had to keep himself from cringing.

Once done, Levi held the cup of water up to the brunette's lips. Eren took small, slow sips of the water, only emptying about a third of it before pulling away and ignoring it completely. Levi didn't bother to argue with him, instead setting the cup down on the small table in front of them and leaning back against the couch.

When Eren fell against him, he didn't show his surprise. He looked down at him and the top of his head as Eren situated himself against his chest, his hands finding their way to his shirt and gripping it. Levi sighed to himself, a sigh that shifted Eren, before wrapping his arms around the teen and holding him in place.

"Do you want to talk about it...?" He asked him. He felt the shake of Eren's head against him, but he knew that wasn't Eren's real answer. He wanted to talk about it, but he didn't want to run the risk of falling apart again. He finally resembled a sense of calm, and he didn't want to mess with that. "Okay... Just know that talking helps sometimes, so if you need to talk about it, I'm all ears."

"Thank you..." Eren whispered softly.

"Of course," Levi said. "Do you want to watch some TV? Maybe that could help you take your mind off of it." Levi suggested. Once again, he felt another shake of the head against his chest.

"No... I just want to sit here for a moment..."

"Okay," Levi agreed.

"... Thank you," Eren lifted up his head and said again.

"I already said of course."

"No, I mean..." Eren trailed off, his eyes falling to the fabric of his shirt bunch up at his hips. "I know it's your job and all, but I really do appreciate you sitting here with me... Like this..."

"Okay, first off," Levi began sternly, making Eren flinch. "Yes, I'm paid to do this, but it was a chosen profession. I'm here because I want to be, and I'm doing this for you because I want to. Erwin doesn't pay me extra to watch you or feed you, or even sit here at three in the morning to help you sleep. I'm doing this for you, and for your benefit. All I've ever done and all I ever will do will be for you, got it?"

Levi hadn't meant to speak with such an obsessive amount of venom in his tone, but he wanted to get his point across. Eren just couldn't seem to understand that Levi was only trying to help him, so Levi would use any measure it meant to get that through the brunette's thick skull.

It seemed to work some too. Eren almost seemed flabbergasted by Levi's tough words, but it looked like he was processing them better because of it. It was like they made a little more sense to him in his head, and hey, that was a damn good place to start.

"Yeah but..." Eren began, but once again trailed off. His finger tightened within Levi's shirt, his big eyes trying to find something to focus on besides the older man's harsh stare. "It's just a nightmare."

"Doesn't matter," Levi stated bluntly. "At any age, a nightmare can fuck a person up. I've had a few in my life that I've never gotten over, and I bet if you asked a man like Commander Pixis in the Southern District, he'd tell you some nasty stories." Levi told him and shifted his weight to face the boy more. "There's nothing wrong with having one. It only means you're human."

"But it's always the same dream..." Eren mumbled. Levi bent his head to compensate for the awkward sitting position. He was able to see Eren's face this way though, and he could see the redness at the corners of his eyes beginning again.

"Tell me about it..." Levi said, and he was glad he was able to pull off a soft tone. Eren shook his head and wiped at his eyes, but it wasn't a negative answer.

"It's... Always the same... This world is different, and it's so bad, I..." Eren tried, but emotions were catching up to him fast. Levi grabbed at the paper towels he once had and used a dry edge to dab at Eren's cheeks where his tears were starting to fall to.

"What world are you talking about?" He asked the teen.

"It's this... World filled with giant monsters, a-and they eat us. It's always the same; I... I get bitten and I lose a leg, but I'm still alive... B-But Armin..."

This was where the real tears began to show again. Levi ignored all sense of pride, both his and Eren's and pulled him close, close enough for Eren's face to press into his neck and for his arms to wrap around the teen's tiny waist.

"It's just a dream. None of it is real..." Levi whispered.

"It feels so real..." Eren breathed. "I'm never strong enough to save him... I just watch this monster drop him into its mouth, and..."

"And then you wake up...?" Levi asked. Eren nodded his head regrettably.

"I can never save him... I'm never strong enough to help him."

"Oh Eren..." Levi sighed and began rocking the two. "I'm no therapist, but I can tell you right now that your dream has such a terribly hidden meaning, and it's completely pathetic."

"W-What do you mean?" Eren asked and looked up at him. Levi patted the boy's head, his fingers running through his hair.

"Eren, the dream isn't about people being eaten. Sure, that's what happens and that's what you see, but that's not the main focus. The dream is telling you how you're at a low point in your life, that you feel useless and weak. In the dream, you couldn't move to save Armin, and you just watched him fall. There was nothing you could do to help him, and I know that's a major reflection on how you actually feel now. You feel weak, useless, and unable to save your brother right now..." Levi continued to run his fingers through Eren's hair as he spoke, watching the boy who looked at him with such fascination and curiosity that it was a little unnerving.

"This isn't uncommon to feel, and that is what your dream is telling you. The fact that you've had the same one before means that it isn't the first time you've felt this way either. If you don't believe me, ask Hanji then. She's licensed in all of this shit, but she'll say the same thing I've said."

Eren looked away with remorse in his eyes. Levi kept him close though, and even after Eren began crying again. With his hands pressed against his face to hide himself, Levi simply sat there and rocked the two of them back and forth for a good hour. By the time Eren finally stopped crying, it was far past four in the morning, and Eren was obviously too tired to cry anymore.

There was just nothing left to cry.

"Hey," He whispered in the boy's ear quietly, trying not to spook him. "Let's go back to your room so you can sleep in your bed."

"I don't want to..." Eren argued, and Levi was surprised he still had energy left to do that.

"Yes, you have to. Sleeping on the couch is just as bad as sleeping in the recliner." He told him.

"Can I stay with you in your room?" Eren asked, his green eyes looking up at Levi in a wide and pleading, but still tired look.

"No, Eren. You're a big boy, and you can do this on your own." Levi told him.

"Then just a few more minutes here? Just until I'm about to fall asleep...?" Eren compromised. Levi scoffed and rolled his eyes, but his mind truly was mulling over the idea.

Did he really want to run the risk of Eren feeling this way all night? As it stood, the two of them weren't going to fall asleep anytime soon, not with Eren so upset and with Levi trying to help him sleep. If Levi tried leaving him alone, they'd get nowhere very fast.

"Alright, let's compromise here." Levi said and nudged Eren's side. "Stand up really quick."

"Why...?" Eren asked while sitting up.

"Just do it," Levi uttered and moved to sit up from under him. The moment he stood, Eren followed, but he didn't go far. He kept close to him, close enough to where if Levi moved his elbow backwards, it'd be going into his stomach, but he tried his best not to do that.

He began yanking at the cushions of the couch, pulling them off one by one until all that was left was a hidden mattress underneath. He had to push the coffee table out of the way (while it balanced a full cup of water), but once it was set aside, he grabbed at the handle and pulled, yanking the whole frame out and back.

"It's not as comfortable as a real bed, but it's something you can sleep on." Levi stared and he unfolded the mattress and smoothed out the sheets that had already been there.

"What about you?" Eren asked, his fingers twiddling by his lap.

"I'll sit right here with you until you fall asleep. This way we're both comfortable." Levi explained and pulled the sheets back. "Lay down," He instructed.

Eren hesitated, but after a pointed glare from the older man, he did as told. He climbed into the bed (a bed that creaked and groaned with added weight) and laid back on the flimsy pillows that were deflated and flat from being tucked away for so long. Oh no, this was by no means comfortable at all, but it was better than sitting up, and it wasn't as bad when Levi tucked him in and sat beside him.

"Fuck, I need a new one of these. Preferably not from the Mesopotamian era…" Levi muttered in annoyance when the bed creaked some more. He was worried of putting his whole weight on the bed, afraid that it would give out on both of them and break, but it seemed to be fairing for now.

"How old is this one?" Eren asked, trying to occupy his mind while Levi settled.

"Old. Ancient really. I got it a few years back from Erwin, but even then it was old." He uttered and leaned back to rest. "For all I know, people probably died on this thing and it's haunted."

"That's comforting..." Eren mumbled while looking up at the man warily. He waited until his attention was put towards something else, like trying to find a position where a spring wasn't in his back, before moving forward and resting his head into his lap and holding onto his leg.

He expected some reprimand from this; some complaint, argument, or even an annoyed groan, but that never happened. Instead, he felt a hand against his head, rubbing back and forth in small motions. Every now and again, fingers would move his hair back and around his ear. It happened over and over, and it was enough to have goose bumps rising on his cold flesh. Then there would be the lightest uses of nails, and he had to try hard to suppress a shiver.

Levi's hand and fingers worked magic for him, and it was easily enough to have him dozing off. Even after a few minutes of quiet, after Levi looked down to check and see if he was asleep, he continued the motions.

He had no choice. It wasn't like he could get up now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since I've thanked Lady Mari chan for being my Beta, so thank you to her! I also want to once again thank all of the people who follow this story. ^_^ You guys are so awesome! Keep being awesome and ruling the world!


	11. Fire

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can explain for my lack of updates... *Takes in a brig breath of air* So three weeks ago Marika was having problems with her computer. The week after that I was at Zenkaikon. This weekend I was at Anime Matsuri! I've been working and flying back and forth all over the country. Meh tumblr explains it. *gasps for air*
> 
> Trigger warnings in this chapter for self harm and PTSD (And probably other things I'm not even aware of. I told you it'd get worse). ^^' Sorry.
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Namae No Nai Kaibutsu
> 
> By: Egoist

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

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**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

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**Chapter 11: Fire**

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That morning, he woke up with an aching body.

His eyelids were heavy, and so were his limbs. His head felt like it weighed ten pounds of lead, while also continuing to be fuzzy and hazy. Everything around him was too  _bright_. It was too bright, too cold, and he was nowhere near comfortable. Comfortable wasn't even a part of the equation.

It must have been from sleeping on the couch that caused this pain. Sure, on the pull out mattress, it wasn't as bad, but the springs and lumpy fluff in the mattress made him toss and turn all night. Just trying to sit up made his body ache, but he knew there were ulterior motives.

He knew that this foggy feeling in his head, this intense dizziness and nausea settling in his stomach weren't from sleeping on a lumpy couch. He knew sleeping on a couch wouldn't make the room so bright, even when the only light was the lamp beside them and some sun peeking out from behind the curtains.

He was sick.

Once sitting up on a shaking arm that could barely support his weight, Levi looked down at the only spot of warmth he could feel in this freezing cold room. That one spot was called Eren, who just happened to be the equivalent of a personal space heater. He was  _so warm_ , but Levi knew better. He knew he was burning up with a fever, and that he was cold because of it. He knew that the only warmth he would get would be from huddling against Eren too, but he couldn't do that. After all, the only sick person he had been in contact with for the past few months was the brunette sleeping peacefully beside him, so it was obvious that this was all his fault.

Levi couldn't totally blame him for this though. He knew he posed a risk of getting sick by staying by Eren's side, and he did it anyway. The blame fell on him for becoming sick, for not taking proper measures to keep himself healthy, but he wished it wasn't.

He hadn't felt this bad in  _years_. He hadn't felt so out of place and rooted into one place for so long, and it was all from this nasty fever he felt.

Eren was so warm beside him though. All it took was just laying down beside the brat, wrapping his arms around him and staying that way to keep warm, but what if Eren got sick again? Levi didn't matter in this thought process, just Eren. Eren was the kid after all.

"Captain Levi...?" Levi suddenly startled, a little jump coming from him as his train of thought derailed off its tracks. He hadn't noticed when Eren had woken up, let alone how long Levi had just been staring at him like an idiot. Truth be told though, he was looking past him, not at him.

"Morning brat," His voice barely shook, but Eren didn't seem to notice it. He simply glanced around the room once or twice, as if trying to process why he was there, how he got there, and when he got there. It wasn't hard to remember, and Levi felt bad when he saw the uncomfortable look fall on his expression. "How did you sleep?"

He didn't want Eren thinking about the nightmare. He didn't want Eren upset again, and he'd do whatever it took to keep the brunette's mind focused on one thing.

"... Better," Eren answered, voice a little rough from his long night and those painful screams.

"That's good then. Are you feeling any better?" Levi felt the world spin around him in one big lurch, but he kept himself grounded. He had to endure it. He couldn't let Eren know. "I mean, how is your fever?

"I feel fine." Eren rolled onto his back, his hands by his head and green eyes looking up into dark grey ones.

Levi neglected to notice one of Eren's hands dangerously close to his.

"Good, now we can start working on other things." Levi stated flatly.

"Like what...?"

"Like getting some weight on you. Like getting you some therapy." Levi told him blatantly, trying to keep his composure. "You should really talk to Hanji about your nightmares..."

"Oh..." Eren's head tilted to the side, eyes looking at the skin of Levi's arm, noticing the creases imbedded into him from the blankets pressed there for too long. He didn't disagree with Levi, however, and that was a step forward.

"What's wrong...?" Levi asked, his balance shifting.

"Nothing, I... I just..." Eren looked up again, this time without moving his head. "... Thank you..."

"For what...?"

"For... For dealing with me last night..." Eren's eyes fell back to Levi's arm. "Usually it's Armin or Mikasa taking care of me when I'm like that. I know I'm a hassle, so thank you..."

"Eren, you aren't a hassle. I already said that you're human, and you're entitled to-" Levi stopped when Eren suddenly grabbed at his wrist. "What are you doing?"

"You have a fever," Eren noted and looked up at him again.

"No I don't," Without even thinking about it, just the slightest of hitches revealed his lie to the brunette.

"Are you kidding me? I can feel the heat coming off of you without even touching you." Eren said and sat up on his elbows. "I thought it was just hot under the covers, but it's your body."

"Knock it off, kid. I said I don't have a fever." Levi said and moved back to let Eren sit up fully, but to also put space between them.

"You hate it when I lie, but you'll do it right through your teeth. That's such a double standard." He gripped.

"Listen, there are a bunch of reasons that you lying towards me is wrong. Whether I was lying or not, which I wasn't, there's more than likely a good reason for mine." Levi tried to explain, but the kid, like the brat he was, rolled his eyes and scoffed.

What he did next though was an utter surprise. Levi would have reacted even if he wasn't sick.

Eren reached a hand behind the older man's head and grabbed at the nape of his neck. He yanked, pulling the dizzy man forward until there was only an inch of space between the two of them. Like this, it was easy for Eren to lift his head and press his lips into Levi's forehead, feeling the high temperature radiate off of him like he was a heater.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Levi bit out and pushed the boy away, but Eren didn't get far with the frame of the couch behind him. He should have been concerned when Eren didn't seem at all deterred by that, but he was too dizzy to care.

"I was feeling your fever." Eren told him.

"With your lips?"

"My mom used to do it to me when I said I was sick. She could always tell what my fever was like by doing that." The brunette explained, but there was a slight pout to his words. "She could always tell when I was faking it though."

"Oh really...? Isn't that interesting?" Levi muttered and moved to stand. "I said I'm fine though. I just need a good breakfast and a few glasses of water and I'll be fine."

"Are you sure...?" Eren asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Levi assured and pushed his hair from his face.

"Are you really sure...?" Eren questioned once more, and Levi glared at him with an annoyed look.

"What are you, twelve? Yes, I'm really sure." To prove his point, Levi rolled his shoulders around, but his body was so sore that his muscles couldn't possibly relax, and any trapped air in his joints wouldn't break. Eren didn't seem to notice this though, and was left pushing himself up from the mattress to stand. "You stay here. I'm going to get something from my room really quickly and then I'll make us breakfast."

"What are you going to make?" Eren asked, his eyes still ogling the older man curiously.

"We'll decide that in a minute. Go ahead and wait in the kitchen. I'll be right back." Without another word, Levi made his way back to his room. He only passed a quick glance back to make sure Eren wasn't following him before he closed the door behind him and all but collapsed on his bed.

He felt like  _shit_. Who was he kidding? Certainly not himself and certainly not Eren.

How he managed to pull that off he didn't know, but he knew he deserved an award for it, because he could barely see straight anymore. His vision was a blur, his head was swarming with fuzz, and his body felt weak.

He felt terrible, but the bed felt so good. After sleeping on the thing he once called a couch (once, because he was definitely burning it after today), the lining of foam in the mattress and feathered pillows elevating his head felt wonderful. It was perfect for working out the kinks in his body, perfect for taking his troubles away, and perfect for just a few minutes of sleep. He had said he was just going to get something, hadn't he? That'll only take a few seconds, and a few seconds of shut eye was all he needed.

* * *

His head was pounding, his body was aching, crust was embedded into the sides of his eyes, and his vision was blurry when he managed to pry them open.

It was getting worse. This damn fever he tried to convince Eren he didn't have was definitely getting worse.

No matter how much he tried, he couldn't get warm. It was cold. So, so cold, and he couldn't seem to stay warm, which he figured ironic. He was probably sporting a terribly high body temperature, but he was still shaking like it was subarctic in his room.

Like Eren, he was sick, and he could no longer deny that. However, how was he supposed to hide this from Eren? How was he supposed to keep the boy off of his scent? Eren was already trying to catch his lies, and like this it was obvious. If Eren saw him just once, his little facade would be over.

Speaking of the devil...

Through the dim fog that was his vision and mind, Levi felt a cold gust of wind hit him hard and fast. He physically curled into himself, body quivering while he tried finding warmth, but not even the blanket could provide.

He forced his eyes open some, peaking into the bright light shining through his curtains to see a black shadow standing in the doorway. Eren...? That had to be him. There was no one else who fit that description.

When the shadow moved closer, little details became obvious. Tousled brown hair, big, green eyes, and tan skin that seemed darker to his fuzzy vision. Yeah, that was definitely Eren, and he was definitely caught.

"Captain...?" His voice was  _loud_ , but Levi knew that it was the fever. Eren was probably whispering in comparison to what Levi was hearing.

Levi opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. His throat felt raw, and his sinuses were congested. He wasn't sure if any sound came out at all or if some morphed, mangled version of the brunette's name came out. He couldn't tell.

"Is it your fever...?"

The next thing he knew, Eren was sitting beside him at his bedside. There was dip to the bed, and a warm, soft hand pressed into his head. Levi was so out of it, that all he could think of doing was pushing into that warmth. Eren was warm, hot really, something Levi's skin needed, but he knew better. He knew it wasn't possible to have.

Eren's hand moved along his skin though, first from his forehead to his cheek, and then to his neck. Eren could feel the heat coming off of his body like he was a fire, and Levi thought he could see the brunette frown. Was it really that bad?

"Are you sleeping, Captain...?" Levi wanted to answer, he desperately wanted to, but he couldn't. He couldn't even muster up the energy to nod.

He was  _so tired_.

When the brunette didn't get an answer, the dip in the bed was gone. Levi's eyes cracked back open (he wasn't sure when he closed his eyes) to watch Eren darting out of the room, his bedroom door shutting behind him in a haste.

_'Shit...'_

* * *

Thick, heavy, awful smelling smoke. He could smell it everywhere. It was all around him, and despite his deadened senses, he could smell it, and he could  _hear_  it.

The fire alarms were going nuts. He could hear them going off, but it wasn't in his room. It was in the kitchen where the sound was deafening and loud.

Levi's limbs ached from his fever, but the prospect of a fire was enough to have adrenaline kicking in and forcing his sore ass out of bed. The world spun around him, but the smoke was a reminder that something was wrong.

He felt the doorknob first. No heat, which was good. Like his life was depending on it, he burst through his door and went running down the hall.

 _'No, no, no...!'_  His mind was a frenzy of thoughts.

Eren couldn't have done this. He  _couldn't_  have. The idea that Eren would start a fire to get back at Levi was ridiculous at best, hilarious at worst, but it was the first one coming to his mind. If he was truly angry, Eren had the fragile state of mind to start a fire. He already tried to kill him, and if it meant getting to see Armin again, would Eren still go this far?

There was only one way to find out.

Levi saw the smoke billowing from the archway to his kitchen, thick and black and smoldering. No doubt it would forever stain the white walls, but at this point, that was hardly a care. He covered his face with the collar of his shirt and darted in, finding it very hard to see through the smoke.

"Shit, shit, shit...!" Barely able to see, Levi made out the figure within the room, the one who could only be Eren swatting at the smoke to clear his vision. Levi felt his heart (And head) pound in anger.

"Eren!" He barked at the kid. Eren looked over at him with wide eyes, barely visible through the smoke.

"I-I'm sorry!" He apologized. Levi looked over to the stove where Eren stood by, and he was barely able to make out the frying pan on the burner, or the food being chard to a crisp within it.

Somehow, this was a relief.

"Turn off the fire alarm and open up the windows!" Levi instructed before shoving the boy out of the way. Eren didn't even have a complaint about being forced away. He just did as told, first going for the windows over the sink, and then the fire alarm.

While he did that, Levi grasped at the handle of the frying pan and pulled it off of the stove. Smoke followed it as Levi carried the hot implement to the sink and dropped it in before dousing it with cold water from the faucet. He jumped back at the sudden gust of steam and hot water flying at him, only to run into Eren behind him who was haphazardly tossing a rag around in the air by the fire alarm.

"What are you doing?"

"It won't go off!" Eren explained frantically. Levi clicked his tongue before pushing him out of the way and climbing onto the counter. He reached up and yanked at the device, pulling the cover off to get at the battery hidden away. He pulled it out, and like that, the kitchen fell into silence, though it wasn't completely silent. The alarm in the hallway was still going off, giving Levi the worst headache he thought he had ever had, and he suffered from migraines. To say that his headache was worse was saying something.

"S-Sorry…" Eren mumbled, his hands by his lap and clenching tightly.

"Get the other alarm before the whole building evacuates." Levi said, no; ordered the teen. He wasn't going to give the brat another chance to speak, not until everything had calmed down some.

Eren ran out of the room, and Levi waited until the alarm in the hallway disappeared before he could breathe a sigh of utter relief. He rubbed at his forehead, his fingers running back and forth over the corrugations between his eyebrows in hopes that he could ease his headache some, but it didn't, to his misfortunate displeasure.

He went back to cleaning off the pan. It had cooled down by now, no longer hot to the touch. Inside the pan was nothing but black clumps of what he assumed was an attempt at food. It had been cooked into charcoal bits, making it absolutely impossible to tell what it was even to begin with. Levi could only assume it was eggs though, judging by the way it looked within the pan.

That was only a guess though.

"Captain Levi…?" Levi turned back around to see Eren hiding by the archway, his head low, but still looking at him though his bangs. He wouldn't look him in the eyes, however, and Levi could tell that the teen was feeling some form of "guilt" for what had happened.

"What the fuck were you trying to do?" The older man asked, his teeth grinding together in irritation. This action was not helping his headache any.

"I-I'm sorry, I really am-"

"You said that before. What is it you're apologizing for though, brat?" Eren's hand clenched together beside his hips, and for a moment, just a moment, Levi wondered if Eren was scared.

"Y-You were so sick, and sleeping. I-I thought um…" Eren paused like he was trying to get his words together.

"Spit it out, Eren." Levi was in no mood for teenage drama.

"I owe you for dealing with me last night, s-so I thought I'd make breakfast while you were sleeping…" Eren's eyes that had been avoiding his own drifted to the stove, his frown deepening. "I don't know what happened though. I went to grab a plate, and when I turned around, everything was up in smoke."

Levi's gaze followed Eren's, trying to figure out what had caused the food to combust so fast. It wasn't hard to find though. On the stove where all of the dials were located to control the temperature of the coils, one of them was turned all the way to the right to the highest setting it could possible go.

"Eren," Levi scoffed and turned the dial down to zero. "You had it set to ten. No wonder it caught on fire."

"Was that bad?" Eren asked, his eyes barely meeting him.

"Not if you're trying to boil water, and even  _that_  is pushing it." Levi grabbed at a towel off to the right to cover his nose, already feeling the burn of smoke in his lungs. Having been a smoker long before, the smell of it didn't bother him. It was the effect it had on him while he was sick, much like anyone else that kicked his ass.

"S-Sorry…" Eren stuttered again, his voice dropping.

"Kid, it's fine. You weren't actually trying to start a fire, and that's all I'm really grateful for. That, and I guess these eggs you were making me." Levi said while pulling on the handle of the charred pan still soaking under the faucet.

"… They were supposed to be pancakes." Eren mumbled, but it was still heard under his soft breath. Levi breathed in deeply and let out a sigh within the towel, his eyes looking back at the charred bits in the pan.

"… There's nothing I can say to make up for that." Levi said and tapped his knuckles against the counter.

"Sorry…" Eren uttered with his head hung low.

"Eren, stop apolo-" Levi stopped mid-sentence when the fire alarm in the hallway began ringing again. It didn't take Levi more than five seconds or so to realize that Eren hadn't removed the battery from it at all. He just waved the rag around until the smoke cleared and it stopped.

With an aggravated sigh, Levi brushed past the teen to go effectively fix the problem, but not without a chair. The thing was making his headache worse, a quick reminder that he was still sporting a nasty fever. When he managed to pull the battery from the alarm, more and more reminders continued to hit him like a ton of bricks. His weak muscles, the ache and soreness in his entire body like he had run a marathon, and the edges of his vision kept blurring in and out, like he was ready to pass out.

Though he didn't want to admit it, he couldn't take care of Eren in this condition. While Eren meant no harm by what he just did, the idea had been planted in his head. Why hadn't he tried to run before? Why hadn't he taken the opportunity to leave while Levi was out? Or better yet, why hadn't he tried placing a pillow over Levi's head again while he was weak? The older man couldn't possibly fight in this condition or protect himself let alone watch after a teenage prostitute.

If he asked, he was sure someone in his squad would take Eren in for the night, or maybe even a day. He'd seem to have taken a liking to Petra, and maybe Petra wouldn't mind watching after him. She didn't have any problems taking care of him after all.

"Alright…" He sighed. He wasn't being given much of a choice here, not unless he wanted to die at a young age from heart failure. "Hey, Eren," He called out to the boy and began walking back to the kitchen. When he got there though, he wasn't fully prepared for what he was about to see.

Eren was still in the archway to the kitchen, head hung low, eyes downcast, but his arms and hands had come to rest over his head, like he was hiding himself; it looked much like a child would hide themselves when they were scared. His back was against the wall, and through the coverage over his head, Levi could have sworn he heard something akin to sniffles behind those thin arms. Seeing Eren's shoulders shake like most of his body only seemed to confirm his guess.

"Eren…?" He asked softly, afraid to startle the teen. It was hard to determine what would set Eren off anymore compared to other things, and seeing Eren like this so suddenly was just flashing warning signs in the older man's face, telling him to turn away and ignore it. Levi wasn't that kind of man though. "Hey, are you okay?"

Eren's shoulders jumped lightly, like he hadn't been expecting Levi to speak. What Levi couldn't understand, however, was why the brat hadn't heard him before. Was he really out of it? Did Levi do or say something to make him recoil back into himself?

It was like a switch flipped up in Levi's head when things began to connect like puzzle pieces.

The fire alarm.

Eren's house caught fire three years ago, a fire that killed his mother, and was supposed to kill him, Mikasa and Armin. It took everything, his mother and father, his home, his  _life_ away from him, and after the adrenaline rush from previous events wore down, it must have been connecting together in his head too.

"Hey, Eren…" Levi whispered softly and gingerly touched Eren's arms. He only flinched, but didn't make a move to shove Levi away. Whether this was a good or bad thing, however, Levi didn't know. "Hey, it's okay. It's over now. It's over…"

Eren made a gurgled sound from behind his arms, but with a little more coaxing, Levi managed to pull his arms down. Eren would only allow them to fall halfway before they stopped altogether, and Levi had the feeling they wouldn't even budge and inch at that point. His hands were still up to cover his eyes though, still effectively hiding himself. Levi knew that Eren didn't feel safe this way though, and that small thread that was holding the teen's sanity together was slowly unraveling.

"Was it the fire alarm…?" Levi asked, treading dangerous waters by mentioning it. "Eren, look at me…" He prompted, but got no response. "It's over. There's no fire. It's gone."

"No…" Eren's voice was meek, a small whisper and trembling as much as he was.

"Yes, Eren, it's over now."

"No, no…" Eren repeated and shook his head.

"Why…?" Levi felt the need to ask. He needed to know what was going through the boy's head.

"No, it's… I-It's not good. I-I…" Eren's legs shook helplessly, and if Levi weren't there to hold his arms, the teen probably would have fallen to the ground.

"Eren, calm down." Levi told him, trying to be firm, but soothing at the same time. That wasn't easy though, not when he didn't know what would upset Eren more and what would make him feel better.

"I-I can't, I can't. I-It's not good." Eren's breathing picked up a notch, his trembling becoming worse. Levi could feel it under his fingertips, and with it was a sense of dread.

Something was really wrong.

"It's fine, Eren-!"

"It's not fine!" Eren's voice bordered a screech so terrifying it gave Levi chills.

"Eren-"

"No, no… Y-You have to punish me."

"What…?" This was not what he was expecting to hear.

"P-Please, I d-did bad, I fucked up, I-"

"Eren, stop it. What are you talking about?" This wasn't about the fire, was it?

"I messed up! I-I fucked up, and I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

" _Oh…_ "

No, this wasn't about the fire. It wasn't even close. This moment only showed how far gone Eren was; how brain washed he had become. It was taught to babies that, when you do something wrong, you get punished for it, but to what extent had that been engraved into Eren's mind, and what implements had been used to make sure Eren didn't forget it? What measurements had been taken to ensure it was in his head? What tiny things had Eren ever done wrong to be physically punished, because Levi knew what Eren was talking about?

"Eren, I'm not going to punish you." Levi said and tugged on his hand. He barely caught a glimpse of the boy's green eyes, red and swollen from tears, before Eren seemed to lose his train of thought. "I won't hurt you."

"Why…?" Eren asked, voice shaking and eyes barely able to meet a grey stare. "I-I messed up. I messed up bad."

"It was an accident. You didn't do anything wrong." Levi told him. Eren's head shook, stray tears dripping down his cheeks. "It wasn't your fault, Eren."

Levi's first mistake was letting go of Eren's arm to hold his wrist. He figured it a soft, simple gesture to show that he would be there for him, and that he wasn't going to leave the teen alone. Eren's expression softened for a moment, eyebrows unfurrowing, lips parting on an almost silent breath, as if in relief, and his muscles relaxing. Levi took this as a good thing, but it was only for a moment though, a moment to show Levi that yes, Eren could let his guard down.

He wasn't expecting what happened next, however. He wasn't expecting the relief that showed on his face to suddenly give way to pain as Eren tossed his head back into the wall, effectively creating a very large dent in his white paneling that Levi could barely care for as Eren slid to the floor.

"Eren!" He reprimanded, but his voice was covered by a horrid screech that was horrifying at best.

"No! No! You have to punish me! I can't take it if you don't!" Eren cried, his body lurching and arching backwards, as if he was looking for another wall to hit himself with. Levi was having none of that, and quickly developed a plan to keep him from doing so. Eren was thrashing around so much, this wouldn't be considered wrong either. Eren was a danger to himself this way, and Levi had no choice but to wrap his arms around the kid's chest and restrain him.

"Eren, stop it!" He yelled over him, but even restrained, Eren put up a serious fight. His legs were flailing around, his nails were scratching at every part of Levi they could reach, and his lips let out inhuman sounds.

Eren hadn't snapped, had he? This wasn't him with a missing mind and nothing to lose, was it? It couldn't be. Eren still had a lot to fight for, but how much of that did he realize? It couldn't be much, not now at least.

"Stop…! You need to calm down!" Levi pressed his hands into the back of Eren's head, effectively locking Eren's head into place with his arms bound in midair, but it wasn't enough. When Eren's screams died down, Levi assumed Eren was calming down some, and oh, how he wished that was the truth. It was far from the truth though, the evidence being the muscle of Eren's thumb jammed in between his teeth and being gnawed on like raw flesh being dinned on by a rabid animal. "Eren!"

Levi let go of him completely to grab at his hand and pull, but his grip was like iron. Eren's teeth sunk further, skin already broken and pulling more blood from the openings he had created with his sharper teeth. His flat teeth did their job though, and Levi feared Eren would bite his whole thumb off if he didn't manage to get the teen to stop this erratic behavior.

"Let go of your hand, Eren!" He yelled, but it was like pulling at a toy a dog had in its mouth. He wouldn't let go. "Damn it, knock it off!" Levi jammed his fingers past Eren's lips and dug backwards, yanking his cheek in a direction it wasn't meant to go. He pushed his fingers back far enough to dig them into the lining of Eren's jaw, and like this, he was able to wedge one finger at a time between Eren's teeth. He pulled again and again, only until Eren's teeth were loose enough for him to pull his hand out of his mouth.

When he could, his free hand covered up the gaping wound while his other hand was preoccupied and being chewed apart. Eren's bites were weaker though; he was holding back, and maybe that was a good thing. Maybe that meant that Eren was still retaining some sanity, and maybe that would mean that he was aware that it was no longer himself he was biting, but Levi instead.

"Shh… Calm down, Eren, calm down." Levi said softly despite the pain his hand was in and the gushing blood in his other. He needed to remain calm, because if he didn't, then Eren wouldn't relax, but it was hard.

Levi had seen plenty of fucked up kids and adults, all of them with terrible backgrounds and unstable minds. Eren was just like many others, though many others had never really gone from zero to sixty on him so fast. The possibility that Eren was different than them was high though, because Eren technically lived with Levi. Levi saw him all the time, but this was new. Not even the reactions to his nightmare could compare to this, and this…

This was frightening.

"You're okay now. I'm right here, so it's safe. You can calm down now." Eren gagged around his fingers, an attempt at a reply. His grip went lax, enough for Levi's fingers to slide out and recover from the damage that had been dealt. It was extensive though, and Levi was sure  _something_  felt out of place in his ring finger.

He couldn't care less though. His main focus was Eren, but he wasn't sure if he was more concerned for Eren or his hand. He'd calm down, which was good, but his hand was still bleeding terribly. Levi wasn't even sure if Eren had ripped through any tendons or not, and he was too afraid to move his hand to find out. He feared letting go and making the bleeding significantly worse; for all he knew, he was doing a good job at keeping it stable. He even feared moving from this one spot, knowing they'd have to go to a hospital for stitching, but was Eren even capable of walking?

After whacking his head so hard against the wall, Levi wouldn't doubt that he had some sort of concussion. To its extent, Levi wasn't sure, but it had to be something to create that much of a dent in the drywall.

Was it safe to move Eren in this condition? Should he just pull out his phone and call Erwin for a bus, or should he give it time until the bleeding stopped to see if it was anything serious?

What was he thinking? Of course it was serious. What Eren did was categorized as self-harm. Had he done that anywhere else, he'd be on the next shuttle to a crazy ward, where they'd lock him up in a room with no windows and put him in a strait jacket. That was no place for him to be.

"Breathe for me…" Levi whispered and pulled Eren's head against his chest, mindful of the blood dripping down his hand. There was a light struggle from Eren, but it only took a few seconds for him to stop and let his head lay lax against Levi's shoulder, his hair brushing the older man's chin. Eren's body practically slumped after that, but Levi knew that he wasn't calm; he was nowhere near it. It'd be a few more hours before he resembled coherency, and those next few hours would be the most gruesome he'd have to endure.

They needed to decide what would happen from here.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you still decide to follow me after this chapter, I promise to make it up to you. ^^'


	12. Maria Psychiatric Hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, trigger warnings to mentions of self harm and eating disorders. Not so much the eating disorders, but juuuust in case.

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 12: Maria Psychiatric Hospital**

* * *

"Ouch," Levi hissed, his hand flinching back.

"I'm sorry, captain." The little red haired nurse apologized, her hands stilling for a moment to examine the damage she had done.

"It's okay, Hannah. It's not your fault," He assured and wiggled his fingers. He had long since lost the feeling at the tips of his fingers, and his ring finger was swollen; Nanaba had mentioned something about the x-rays proving a few misplaced things. The only real sting he would feel was the feeling of pure alcohol soaking into the open bite marks along his fingers, but even that was beginning to numb.

"I could see about getting you something to numb the pain." Hannah insisted, but she was quickly turned down by a shake of the older man's head.

"No, I'll only need what's necessary. There are plenty of people who need that more than I do. Besides…" Levi paused to wiggle his middle finger. "So long as I have this, I can still use it in traffic." Hannah smiled, glad to see he still had a very harsh sense of sarcasm. That meant that Levi was fine, and if he was fine, then things around them were fine.

That was just how it worked.

"That is the most important one, sir." She agreed and set the bottle of alcohol beside her on the table. The wet gauze she had used against his hand and her gloves were quickly disposed of, and with that, her smile widened. "Well, after cleaning up that mess, I can easily say you won't need any stiches. Everything is pretty nasty, but nothing compared to Eren's damage." She said, but just as the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

They weren't supposed to talk about Eren right now. At least, that was an unspoken rule between him and her. Bringing him up would mean bringing up the idea that something needed to be done with him, and he didn't need to think about that right now.

"That's good. What about this?" Levi asked and motioned to his unmoving ring finger. Hannah hummed to herself for a moment before grabbing at his wrist with one hand. The other used it's fingers to painfully and roughly latch onto his finger, and without even wasting a second to explain what she was about to do, Hannah pulled back. Levi felt a searing pain, followed by a very disturbing popping sound within his appendage. It was quick though, and after that, all that was left was a dulling pain that had him doubled over, nearly falling out of the bed.

"Eren pulled your finger out of your joint. It was a simple fix." Hannah assured. Levi was more than ready to reprimand her for being so hasty to rip his finger out of his socket, but after the sensations of agony reduced, he noticed that his finger was gripping at his palm like the rest of them.

Mission accomplished.

"Thank you… I think…" Levi sighed, while stretching out his hand.

"No problem. Glad I could help." Hannah said with a grin. Levi would have thought that the pain was intended, but she didn't have any vendettas against him.

As far as he knew.

"How are you, Levi?" Like usual, Erwin, who had been in the room the whole time, only spoke up when it was needed. When he came in, Levi wasn't sure, but his biggest concern was if Erwin had heard him speaking about Eren.

The older man didn't want Erwin thinking about the teen either.

"I'm good." Levi told him, his eyes failing to meet those blue ones, instead looking at the floor like it was interesting.

"It'll probably be stiff tomorrow though." Hannah explained with a small laugh.

"I'm sure it will. Eren did quite a number on you." Erwin said, no hint of sarcasm showing in his tone. He was being serious about this, and it was obvious that the subject of the teen was going to happen, whether he liked it or not.

One way or another, it was bound to happen. Levi knew it was, but he had just hoped it wouldn't.

"It wasn't intentional." Levi spoke up, hoping to make the brunette look innocent in all of this. "He wasn't aware of… What he was doing." That didn't help his argument, however.

"I can tell. Your arms are scratched up too." The blond stated and motioned to his bruised and slightly bloody arms.

"Battle scars. We all have them." Levi said and reached for his sweater. The scratches on his arms were of no worry. He probably didn't even need antibiotic, so there was no reason to have his arms exposed.

"Not from this type of situation." Erwin's voice fell low and grave as he spoke, as if he was simply stating that Levi wouldn't win this argument. Maybe Levi knew that, but it was worth some effort.

"Erwin-…" He began, but more faces decided to drop in at just the right time. A very sullen and quiet Hanji (which was rare and frightening to see) was following Nanaba, who was adjusting her scrub shirt to fit her better. Her gloves had long since been disposed of, but the smell of blood seemed prominent on her. Along with that, she walked with a sense of morose dread, and once again, the subject would be brought up one way or another.

"Nanaba," Erwin addressed, but it was Levi who beat him to it.

"How is Eren…?" He asked, trying hard not to show his concern. The rush in his tone gave him away though.

"Sedated, among other things." Nanaba answered as she took a seat in the hospital bed adjacent to Levi's.

"What about his hand?" Levi continued to question.

"He's a very lucky boy. Had he moved just a centimeter to the left, Eren would have bitten through his ulnar lateral ligament, and he would have lost the use of his thumb." The blond woman explained and rubbed at her forehead. "He's got a greenstick fracture from biting on his bone though. That'll take some time to heal."

"Fuck…" Levi cursed and dropped his head.

"And his head…?" Erwin asked, already up to date on what had happened in Levi's apartment.

"Levi's wall must be thin. He didn't hit his head as hard as you thought he did." Nanaba explained.

"It wasn't the drywall I was worried about him hitting. It was the wooden beam behind it." Levi uttered.

"No, he's fine. I wouldn't let him sleep off any drugs if I knew he had a concussion, and if by some chance he does, it's very minor."

"So he's going to recover well then?" Erwin asked.

"That depends on him." Nanaba said. There was something behind her words, maybe her tone or the way she slouched that said that there was something more coming, something worse.

"What does that mean?" Hanji asked, finally speaking up after such a quiet pause.

"Eren's got scarring on his other hand, in the same marks left by this one. This isn't the first time he's bitten his hand like this, and judging by the previous ones, this is a habit of his." The woman explained. "I'm going to go ahead and guess that Eren uses self-harm as a defensive trigger, something that Levi messed with this morning."

"I can't imagine this being self-harm." Levi spoke up and shook his head.

"How can you say that?" Nanaba asked as if morbidly surprised by his words.

"If I did trigger something, it was because I was being nice. It's not something normal for him, and he was looking for that sense of "normal" that he knows so well to calm down. Biting his hand was just a coping mechanism to help calm himself down. Other than that, Eren doesn't just bite on his hand for the purpose of pain."

"That's still a sense of self-harm though." Erwin said. "If Eren can't differentiate the sense of "normal" from reality, he's a harm to himself, and obviously to others."

"The only reason I'm like this is because I jabbed my fingers down his throat to get him to stop." Levi said, trying to stand up for the brat.

"And who is to say that someone else won't do that for him?" Erwin asked, receiving a frightening glare from Levi. "If Eren were to drop something in public and someone picked it up for him, if Eren were to trip and someone helped him up, who's to say he won't act up again, and who's to say that person won't try and stop him by using the action you did?"

"Someone wouldn't be stupid enough to do what I did." Levi admitted, and only a second later did he realize what he just said. He sighed and covered his eyes with his hands, his head still pounding from his fever and the "excitement" from today, if one were to even call it that. "So what happens next…?"

He dreaded asking that question. He really did. It was what he wanted to avoid entirely, but he knew it was coming.

"I'm going to have Eren admitted to Maria Psychiatric Hospital." Erwin told him. The words made Levi's blood freeze within his veins and boil all at once.

"You mean the loony bin?" Levi asked.

"It's not a loony bin, Levi." Erwin stated. "Maria's is a very safe-"

"It doesn't matter how safe it is, Erwin." Levi growled. "Eren isn't some nut. He's not some kid who sets cats on fire and he isn't suicidal. There's no place for him there."

"You can't say that for sure," Hanji said, and now she was on the receiving end of Levi's death flare.

"Eren isn't suicidal. He doesn't have a suicidal bone in his body."

"Then what was his morning?" Nanaba asked.

"He's scared!" Levi hadn't meant to raise his voice, but the conditions were changing, and it was needed. "His sister and brother are gone and he's a fucking prostitute! He's terrified that nothing is safe for him right now! He doesn't know how to handle what's happening around him!"

"I understand that, Levi, but-" Erwin began, but Levi wasn't going to let him speak.

"If a dog was caught in between a bunch of guys beating it up, it'd be scared enough to fight, and that's exactly what Eren is doing!"

"But Eren is beating himself up, not us, and what we're doing isn't provoking in any manner, but trying to help him." Erwin said.

"So what…?" Levi asked and stood up to walk up to the taller man. "You're just going to send him there and let him be tied up in a strait jacket? You're just going to let him rot in a room without windows?"

"Levi-"

"You and I both know that Maria is understaffed and underpaid. The good people who work there who sincerely care about their jobs are tired from dealing with all of that shit, and the others who work there don't care and don't bother trying! They'll drug him up and lock him in a room where he can't bother them, and then he won't get the real help he needs!"

"So what do you suggest then?" Erwin asked, his tone rising.

"He needs to stay with me, Erwin." Levi told him.

"What can you do for him that they can't, though?" Hanji asked, not intended as an insult, but a genuine question. "At least at a hospital they can sedate him if he gets out of hand."

"And how does that help him? That just teaches him that drugs will solve his problems." Levi turned to her to answer, but he was quickly redirected back to Erwin. "At least with me he has someone to talk to, someone watching out for him twenty four seven. With me I can watch him, unlike at a hospital where someone may see him once or twice a day. I can be there for him when he needs it, and I can help him solve his problems. A hospital won't do that for him."

Levi knew he was right. From personal experience to obvious knowledge, he knew that was he was saying was the truth. Eren wouldn't get the care he needed at a hospital. What he needed was someone to look out for him, someone to be there for him, and Levi knew it.

"Erwin, he needs to stay with me. I can take care of him, and I can watch him and make sure he doesn't hurt himself again. I'll be there for him-" Erwin raised a hand, insisting that Levi quiet down for just a moment so he could think. What was there to think about though?

"Honestly, Levi, I don't want this for Eren either. It isn't me you should be convincing, though. Nanaba is the one who decides in the end." He explained and motioned to the woman still sitting on the bed. Levi turned to her, a little breathless after his argument, but Nanaba was already shaking her head by the time his eyes met hers.

"I can state in my report that Eren isn't suicidal. I can't promise you that will work though."

"Why…?" Hanji asked.

"Because, even though Levi takes care of Eren, he isn't listed as his primary caretaker or guardian."

"He doesn't have one." Levi simply stated.

"Exactly. Eren is homeless, a stray, and without someone watching over him, even though he is eighteen, my boss can simply deny my report and still send him there. I can only buy you time and hope that it doesn't come to that." Nanaba stood and patted herself down of any wrinkles in her clothing. "She may still send Eren away, but it takes a few days for the report to reach her. That's all I can do."

"That's better than nothing." Erwin said. Levi turned back to him, hoping he could change his mind, but there was nothing he could do. "It is better than nothing, Levi. You're being given a chance to keep Eren. I suggest you use it wisely."

"But Erwin-"

"That's it, Levi," And it was. Erwin's tone was what would end the conversation, and that was all there was to it. Levi had no more say in this argument, nothing more to defend or fight for.

It was over.

"Fuck this," Levi growled, and before anyone could stop him, he stormed out of the room through the double doors. He was only followed by one though, and at first he thought it would be Erwin or Nanaba, but it wasn't.

"Wait, Levi!" It was Hanji, but she still didn't sound right. Hearing her sound so serious and sad wasn't something anyone was used to.

"Leave me alone, Hanji." He warned, because he was ready to blow up at any minute, and he didn't want her to be at the receiving end of it.

"I know you're upset, but I need to talk to you." Hanji stopped the older man by grabbing at his arm and pulling. Levi was truly ready to yell at her, ignoring the fact that they were in a hospital, but Hanji beat him to it. "It's about Mikasa!"

"Mikasa…?" Levi asked, his anger immediately dissipating into thin air. "What about her? Is she okay?"

"… I don't really know." Hanji answered.

"Where is she?" Levi asked.

"In the waiting room-" Before she could even finish, Levi was already trying to leave, trying to find his niece. "Wait, Levi! She's okay  _now!_ "

"What the fuck does that mean?" Levi asked and swiftly turned around to face her.

"I'll tell you when you can take a moment to breathe." Hanji said. Levi glared at her, but he knew she was being serious. If he didn't calm down, she wouldn't talk, and that was just how stubborn she was.

So Levi rolled his eyes before taking in a slow, deep breath and letting it out. He did this about three times before he sent another glare her way, and she seemed to be approving of his antics.

"Now what's wrong with her?" Levi asked, trying to remain calm so he could get answers.

"Well, last night Mikasa had fallen asleep on my couch. I covered her up with a blanket to keep her warm, but…"

" _But…?_  But what? Come on, Hanji." Levi growled.

"… Levi, she… She has scars all over her arms."

It didn't take a rocket scientist to know what that meant.

"Oh no…" He breathed, and everything else at that moment just didn't matter.

"They looked old though. Maybe a few years? I did look as much as I could for anything that could be recent, but I didn't see anything."

"How bad are they?" The older man asked.

"Pretty nasty. At first glance, I thought they were just creases in her skin from the fabric of her shirt, but this was one of those rare moments I caught her in something other than a long sleeved shirt." Hanji explained. "Like I said, they look old though. I didn't want to say anything in front of Erwin, because you're the only family she has left. If anyone makes any decisions for her, it's you."

"She's eighteen." Levi told her.

"But if she still cuts, she's a harm to herself. Free will is taken away the instant that happens, and you're the only one who has say in what happens to her." Levi shifted on his legs and crossed his arms over his chest, his mind now racing with thoughts of Mikasa.

"Did you say anything about them to her?"

"No, I didn't. I don't know Mikasa, so I don't know what could trigger erratic behavior. I didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet, so I thought I'd bring it up with you. I was hoping you'd say something along the lines of them being injuries from a car accident or from when she was younger, so that way I'd know she doesn't do it now, but…"

But that wasn't the case. Mikasa was never a cutter, had never even dreamed of the idea. Levi didn't doubt that the scars appeared within the three years she had been missing, but when in those three years was the question. When had she bothered to put something sharp to her skin in a desperate attempt to, what? Kill herself, or dull the pain?

Levi knew that she had been through hell, and if she hadn't taken her life, Levi would sit there and tell her how proud he was of her. He knew that this meant there was some other alternative to her pain, of course, and it just had to be cutting.

"Shit…" Levi cursed. "I need to talk to her."

"You can't." Hanji reminded him.

"It won't be about her, and it won't ever have to be mentioned. I just need to talk to her. I need to hear her voice." Levi said and began wandering off to the waiting room.

He needed to hear it in her voice. Despite not having dealt with her, he had dealt with people with apathy. Genuinely, there was always something in their voice that he could hear. Maybe it was from personal experience, but he knew it wasn't always cold hearted. He just needed to talk to her.

Maybe this was also a way of reassuring himself that his niece was okay too.

The waiting room wasn't far, though off in a secluded area. It probably hadn't been the best of ideas to leave Mikasa alone in there, but there were cameras all around the hospital. She wouldn't have gotten far had she tried to run. Thankfully, she hadn't. She was sitting in one of the chairs, holding a little toy car meant for any younger kids in the room. There weren't though, and she was quietly inspecting the little wooden toy like it was the greatest thing in the world.

Levi didn't go unnoticed for long. He was sure Mikasa had seen him the moment he walked into the room, but she just hadn't bothered to look up. Her momentary pauses from playing with the toy to the awkward shifts just seemed to prove that she was just waiting for him to speak up.

"Hey…" No sense in prolonging the inevitable.

"Commander Erwin and Hanji said you aren't allowed to talk to me." Mikasa muttered, taking a moment to look up through her bangs at the man that was her uncle.

"True, but I'm not really here to talk about  _you._ " Levi said and pulled a chair in front of her to sit down. "I wanted to talk about Eren."

That got her attention.

"Eren…?" She breathed, her black eyes widening. "So we  _are_  here because of him? Where is he? Is he okay?" She asked, her apathy disappearing so she could show her worry for her brother.

"He's fine, Mikasa. Eren knocked his head against a wall, and I brought him here to make sure she doesn't have a concussion, which he doesn't." Levi explained.

"Hanji made it sound like it was really bad…" Mikasa mumbled, relief flooding over her like a tidal wave.

"Hanji can take a lot of things out of context." Levi said and crossed his arms over his chest. He couldn't help looking over Mikasa, his eyes primarily falling on her arms. She was wearing a long sleeve shirt, hiding away the evidence of what Hanji mentioned.

Now that Levi thought about it, when he first saw Mikasa, and when they brought her in, even though she was wearing skimpy clothes, her arms were hidden. If her shirt didn't cover her wrists, she'd have on a bunch of gaudy jewelry to hide them. She was always hiding those scars, which begged the question: Did Eren and Armin know of her scars too? Did she hide them from her family, or were they aware?

Levi managed to move his stare along her body. While he didn't want his niece thinking he was checking her out, he definitely didn't want her to realize that he knew of her secret. He also couldn't help it, because seeing her now after so long brought back so many things for him.

He hadn't seen her since two years before she disappeared, supposedly died. She was much shorter back then, and her hair was much longer. Her eyes had narrowed and hardened over the years, both from natural aging and from the terrible hand she had been dealt. She hadn't developed a woman's body yet, unlike now, and her cheeks were rounder and more childlike when he last saw her.

His little Mikasa had grown up.

"So why do you want to talk about Eren?" Mikasa asked, her eyes drifting back to the toy car between her fingers.

"I was just curious about something. Last night, Eren had a nightmare that really messed him up." At the mention of the nightmare, Mikasa's eyes flickered up to him, like the subject was familiar.

"You mean about the titans?" She asked.

"Titans…?" Levi questioned.

"The giant, man eating monsters." Mikasa clarified.

"Yeah, that one."

"Eren has that one a lot." The teen mumbled.

"He mentioned that. Do you know why?"

"Not really. I just know it fucks him up really badly. There have been many nights where Armin and I have to sit with him until he calms down." She told him.

"How long does that usually take?"

"Depends on how severe the dream was."

"I see…" Levi leaned back in his chair, his eyes falling to her arms again. What she hadn't noticed yet was a simple slip up. She hadn't noticed her sleeve slide up some, giving Levi just a little glimpse of the damage. It wasn't much from what he could see, but Hanji hadn't said "wrists." She had said "arms." There was far more to it than that.

However, when Levi looked up, Mikasa pulled down her shirt sleeve, her eyes catching his in the act. She knew he had seen it.

"What do you usually do to make him feel better? Besides sitting with him, I mean." Levi clarified and leaned forward some.

"Calling them titans makes him smile sometimes." Mikasa uttered, her eyes to the floor.

"Why is that…?"

"When we were watching TV once, there was this game on, the giants versus the titans. We thought it was funny, so we just kind of picked up the name. When he has those nightmares, sometimes calling them titans helps him out a little."

"Catchy," Levi remarked, but he didn't see how it'd help him much after an incident like before. "Anything else?"

"If we ever have some food left over from dinner, we eat that. We don't usually though, so we'll talk about other things to try and get his mind off of it."

"Like what…?"

"Like… Times when Carla would make Thanksgiving dinner, and we'd all be so hungry and drooling over the idea of it." It could have been the shadows and lighting, but Levi thought he could faintly see a smile on her lips. Was it possibly that these memories of when Eren's mother was alive did strike a chord with her?

It was obvious that she wasn't a heartless girl. Anyone who knew her would say that. However, it was rare to see her smile since after she was a kid, and seeing it gave Levi just a little bit of hope.

For her…? For their future? Both, because if she could lose her apathy to show her true self, there was a chance.

"Was that all you wanted to talk about…?" She asked, sounding skeptical and annoyed all at once.

"… Yeah, probably." Levi said and stood up to put his chair away.

"Wait," Mikasa stopped him with mild surprise. "That's really it?"

"Yeah. I guess I just wanted to make sure this wasn't him making up things." Levi said with a sigh.

"Eren doesn't  _'make up things.'_ " Mikasa assured him with some offense shown. "Especially some nightmare that messes with his hea-!"

Mikasa all but stopped at the press of lips to the crown of her head.

He knew he shouldn't be doing this. Oh, he definitely shouldn't have been doing this. This broke so many rules and easily could have gotten him fired, but it wasn't like he was forcing her to do anything or even raping her. It was just a little kiss to her head, just a little kiss for a family member who he hadn't seen in years, and thought for the past three that she had been dead.

He missed her; had anyone asked he wouldn't deny it. Yes, it could and probably  _would_  get him in trouble, but just for now, he wanted to show his niece that he still loved her and still cared for her. He wanted to show her that she wasn't alone in this that she didn't have to take everything on by herself.

Fuck the rules for just three seconds, because that's all it took to kiss her.

"Behave yourself with Hanji." He said softly against her hair and rubbed at her shoulder. Mikasa lips were parted and moving slightly, but no sound came out. No doubt she was trying to form up some response, but simply couldn't. With black eyes wide and questioning, she silently watched as Levi walked out of the room.

* * *

"What are you doing here?"

The room was quiet except for footsteps. Levi had walked in, expecting to see Eren in his bed, probably pouting that this had happened and probably upset with Levi for bringing him here, but that wasn't the case.

Instead of the previous scenario, Levi saw that Eren was fast asleep in bed, tucked in with a thin blanket from the heaters and resting his head in the lap of a woman he knew all too well. She looked up at him and smiled, tucking away her short, auburn hair behind her ear while her other hand was busy running its fingers through Eren's hair.

"A bit of a long story," Petra answered and laughed quietly. "I was actually on my way to your place when I got a text from Hanji saying you were here. You were talking to the others, so I was watching Eren for a bit, and… Well, here I am."

"That's great, but I was more curious as to why you are in Eren's bed." Levi pointed out as he walked over to the hospital bed they were in.

"Eren was still a little loopy on medicine, so I think he'll regret this when he wakes up. He just asked me to sit by him, but he ended up falling asleep on me instead." Petra looked down at the brunette while brushing her fingers against his warm cheek.

"You're probably keeping him warm though. I can't imagine that bed doing anything for him." Levi said and sat down in the chair beside him. "You were coming over to my place?"

Petra motioned to the bag beside the chair with her free hand.

"My father always makes too much when he makes dinner. He said if anyone at the precinct wanted something, they were more than welcome to have it. I thought you and Eren, as well as Mikasa and Hanji, could use it though." Petra explained. Levi lifted the bag up into his lap and looked inside, finding a few Tupperware bins of food still hot and fresh. The smell was strong, overwhelming even; it was enough to have his stomach growling and reminding him that he hadn't eaten yet today.

"That's really sweet. Thank you, Petra," Levi said. The woman nodded her head with a smile, glad she was able to help some.

"You should probably thank my dad. He knows we can get busy there and that we forget to eat, so I think he does it this much intentionally in hopes that he can help us out."

"He's a good man." Levi stated as he set the bag down. "Hopefully I can get some of it into Eren's mouth. He's a bit of a picky eater."

"Well, if he ends up liking it, he's more than welcome to ask for more. I'm sure my dad would enjoy helping out if necessary." As Petra spoke, Levi's eyes wandered over the boy sleeping peacefully in bed. When was the last time he had, had a good night's sleep? Levi could only wonder.

He sighed before reaching out his busted up hand to brush it against Eren's cheek, tucking stray strands of hair back into place. Eren didn't even flinch, but a deep, heavy sigh left him, like the motion was comforting and relaxing to him, even in his sleep. This relaxed state on him was nice to see from the usual anger or sadness that Eren usually wore. It was a good change of pace.

"Did Nanaba say how many stitches it took to fix his hand?" Petra asked, soft and quiet so as to not disturb Eren.

"She said about ten," Levi said and looked at Eren's hand carefully placed on Petra's knee. "Knowing Nanaba, that was just a rough guess. It's probably less."

"Could be. It's probably going to be a nasty scar regardless of how many stiches there are." Petra told him, but Levi already knew. Glancing over at his other hand, Levi could see the scarring from previous bites, the bites that Nanaba had spoken of. His other thumb was littered with them, but none of them looked prominently as bad. Maybe Eren hadn't done as much damage as before? Levi couldn't possibly know without looking at his other hand, but he wasn't about to remove the bandaging to find out.

It could have been possible that the situation was never as severe as this time around. Eren may have bitten his hand at previous times, but those times may not have been for the same purpose as this one was. The scars were lighter on his other hand, softer, like the damage dealt was not as great. He hadn't attempted the same thing as when he bit his hand today, so what was it from? Was it really just from losing it? If so, this shouldn't have been Eren's first mental breakdown.

Who was protecting him before?

"Hey, Captain…" Petra whispered.

"Hm…?" Levi looked up, but seeing her smile gone was unnerving. In its place was a long frown, her eyebrows furrowed in worry and her brown eyes wide.

"Is Eren really going to have to go to Maria's?" She asked, her anxiety showing.

"How do you know about that?" Levi questioned.

"I overheard Hanji and Erwin talking. I just heard them talk a little bit about it though…" Her voice trailed off, her words making her sound bad. She hadn't been eavesdropping; oh no. Erwin and Hanji had been standing outside the door talking, and that's when she heard it. She hadn't heard much though, and thankfully Eren was already asleep by the time the discussion came up. She was only able to catch a bit of it before they walked off, possibly passing by.

"It makes sense it's an option though. I mean… He did do this to himself…" She uttered somberly, her brown eyes on Eren's bandaged hand that seemed to tighten around her jeans, but only slightly.

"We aren't entirely sure yet. For now he's not, and I'm going to try and keep it that way." Levi told her, his fingers running over Eren's forehead. "Every victim has open wounds that need to be healed, some more gruesome than others. We know there's a challenge when we bring them in, and that's why we're here. We're here to help them. Eren is no different a victim, and he is no different a case."

While Levi said this, he truly wished he could believe his own words. That wasn't an option though.

"We don't treat him any different either."

He couldn't follow through and believe what he was saying.

"I wish it was that easy… The world is so messed up, and that's why kids like Eren land in places like this."

"From your mouth to God's ears. If there is one, at least… It's very hard to believe in one with this line of work." Levi sighed, his hand stalling in his movements when Eren's cheek flinched at the contact. He must have been coming out of his drug induced daze, at least by some degree. It had been a few hours since Nanaba finished with his stiches (A few hours of mountains of paperwork that needed to be filed about this incident), so the drugs must have been losing their effects.

"At least Eren has someone like you though." Petra whispered under her breath, obviously not intending for Levi to hear it. It managed to rush through a small draft, however, and blow past his ear.

"Why is that?" Levi asked. Petra looked up, startled at the immediate realization that she had been heard by the man. Her cheeks instantly became pink from ear to ear while her wide eyes did nothing to conceal her embarrassment.

"Oh, n-nothing! I mean, uhm, it's just that you're someone he can look up to." She stuttered, her words slurred by the rush of her tone.

"How so…?" Levi's curiosity wasn't ever large, but sometimes his interest could be peaked.

"Well, you take care of Eren, and you uhm… You let him stay with you, you feed him. You tell him right from wrong. You're probably like a father figure to him, if we're being honest here."

"A father figure. I'm nothing like that, and if he were to look up to me that way, I'm not the best influence he could have." The older man admitted regretfully.

"Maybe not the best, but definitely not the worst." Petra told him.

"If there's anyone he needs to look up to, I would guess it'd be you." Levi said. "After all, he's already taken a liking to you. You're probably the closest thing to a mother that he has, besides Mikasa that is."

"A mother, huh…?" Petra laughed bitterly for a moment, and Levi flinched. He forgot that, with Petra, that wasn't a topic that could be breached with ease. "Well… I guess Eren is the closest thing I could have to a son then." Petra's hand sat on Eren's back and rubbed in small, soothing circles. The brunette's response was minimal; a small sigh.

"Well, you could be." Levi mentioned.

"You could be a father figure too." Petra said, or rather, she argued.

"I still fail to see how." Levi admitted.

"If I'm the mother, I'm just the one that feeds him and lets him sleep in my lap. You're someone strong, someone who can protect him. Even if by a miniscule amount, Eren does trust you, and he knows that you have his back, that you are there for him. If anything were to happen, you can always help him. You'll protect him, which is something I can't do." Petra said, but a weird smile crossed her lips. "You know, because I pinned him against a wall already."

Levi huffed, a dry laugh compared to anything else and stood up. He stretched his back, letting out a strained groan when muscles stretched and bones popped in painful, but relieving ways.

"Well then,  _mom_ , could you do me a favor?" Levi asked once his head stopped spinning after abruptly spinning.

"What is it,  _daddy_?" She asked, but instantly made a weird face. Obviously the same though crossed her head as it did Levi's.

That was fucking creepy.

"Nanaba gave Eren the OK to go home for now. Mind holding open some doors while I take him to the car?" Levi asked and held up his car keys.

"Not at all. Although, wouldn't it be easier to let Eren walk himself?" She asked.

"Let him sleep. Eren was up late last night with the tail end of a cold. He needs to rest." Levi said while handing her the keys. "Besides, even if the drugs wore off some, I doubt he'd be able to walk a straight line."

"Good point," Petra said and leaned back to allow Levi space. The older man slipped his arm under Eren's head while he busied himself with removing the blanket covering him. He lifted the boy up some to reach for his legs, but the motion was enough to jar Eren awake.

His body went ridged quickly, cold and confused. He curled further into himself, but it wasn't enough. It wasn't warm anymore, and he wasn't sure why. His eyes were barely open, only getting a glimpse of dark blue, maybe even black fuzz. That didn't answer anything for him though. If anything, it only warranted a bit of panic.

Levi could feel the fear arise in Eren before he had a chance to say anything. His free hand, the one not bandaged, immediately clung to his jacket and pulled. His other hand, despite its injuries, lightly hit against Levi's chest, as if he were fighting back. His body was weak though, and any attempt to break free that he could possibly use was drowned away in a fog of sleep. His green eyes, clouded with exhaust, couldn't focus on anything let alone what was five centimeters in front of him.

"No…" He croaked, voice broken and scratched from previous screams. Levi readjusted his grip to bring the brunette closer so Eren's head could rest against his shoulder, against his heart. "L-Let me go…"

"Shh, Eren, it's just me. It's just me…" Levi whispered and cradled his head close.

That was all it took to help Eren relax.

It took a moment for the words to register in Eren's fuzzy mind, but once they did, Eren's body went lax. His tired but incessant hitting resided, his already injured handing stinging from the pounding. Eren's eyes focused in on him for a few short moments, but it was enough for him to see him, to see grey eyes and feel the stare on him so intently. It was enough to feel his arms around him in a protective embrace, making silent promises that he will be okay, so long as Levi was around.

Levi was there, and so long as Eren could remember that for a certain amount of time, he could stay sane.

Levi watched as Eren's head lulled against his shoulder, face hidden in his neck and eyelashes barely fluttering against his skin. Eren's arms wrapped around Levi's shoulders, but the grip was weak within a second after he held on. Levi let out an exasperated sigh as he helped guide Eren's arms properly so they wouldn't fall down while they walked. He heard a contorted laugh from behind him, and when he looked up, Petra was covering her mouth with dainty fingers, a "told-you-so" look in her eyes.

"Don't wake him up," Levi mouthed the words with only a bit of air, but it was enough to push his point across. Petra nodded her head with cocked eyebrows before moving ahead, deciding it was best to begin her job of holding doors open. She grabbed at the bag of food as Levi followed, Eren securely in his grasp and out like a light. If he were to have any knowledge of any of this when he woke up, it would surprise Levi.

"Do you need to pick up any medicine or anything for him before we go?" Petra asked, leading Levi into a quiet hallway. Levi shook his head no, leaving it at that as the two of them walked in silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So are you still there? I know people said they weren't leaving, but I'm waiting for that to change honestly. XD


	13. Trust Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god I forgot to put this up oh AO3. X'D

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 13: Trust Me**

* * *

Watching Levi walk out of the hospital with Eren in his arms was a sight to see.

"This has been a very hectic day." Erwin said as he rubbed at his temples. He took a seat on one of the benches beside a hospital room door, his eyes downcast in an attempt to disperse the oncoming headache he felt.

"It has been." Hanji agreed and sat beside him. Her eyes drifted to Mikasa not far away, still sitting in her seat, but with the absence of her toy car, she wasn't very happy.

"I honestly can't agree with Levi," The blond man mentioned, his eyes looking to Hanji. "I don't think it's safe to let Eren go home with him, especially after today."

"Eren is safe with him." Hanji assured him and pulled her glasses off of her face to clean them.

"Are you sure, Hanji? You saw the damage Eren did to his hand. Who's to say he won't do it again?" Erwin asked.

"He'll do it again. Maybe not to the extent of this time, but he'll definitely do it until he finds other means of calming himself down from a situation like that." Hanji said distractedly while putting her glasses back on.

"So you agree that his biting is a coping mechanism?" Erwin questioned skeptically.

"Of course. Levi is right; Eren doesn't have a suicidal bone in his body, and I'm sure he wouldn't unless something happened to Mikasa or Armin. He's not trying to hurt himself by any means; he's just trying to calm down. While I question his mental state when he bites as hard as he did this time around compared to others, I know Eren isn't insane. He just lacks the proper means to cope with what's happening around him." The woman explained while putting her glasses back on.

"So then why biting? Why not pinching himself or snapping a rubber band against his wrist?"

"He probably didn't think those up. I could give you a whole bunch of scenarios as to why Eren would decide to bite himself instead of do something less destructive, but this isn't the time nor the place. I can always mention it in a report, but I know Mikasa is listening right now, so now isn't a good time."

"I want you to try talking to Mikasa about it. She might know the true source of it." Erwin lightly commanded the woman. Hanji's brown eyes drifted over to Mikasa again from behind her glasses. She knew she'd have to talk to Mikasa about this; she'd have to talk to Mikasa about a lot of things, but not today. Not right now.

What needed to be tackled was Mikasa's cutting issues. First things first was to find out how recent any of the scars were.

"I will," Hanji said. "If we're being honest though, I'm more interested in what's happening between Levi and Eren than this."

"Why would you say that?" Erwin questioned, genuinely curious. Hanji tilted her head to Erwin, a wide grin on her cheeks that the man new all too well.

"You don't see it yet, do you?" She asked.

"See what…? Is there something I'm missing?"

"You don't see how close Eren is to Levi already?" She continued asking him.

"Obviously I'm not. I thought Eren still detested Levi."

"And to some degree he does, but that's only for show." Mikasa looked their way, and after a quick exchange in glances between her and Hanji, the woman leaned in closer to Erwin so she wouldn't hear them. His sister could hear Eren's name like a pin dropping on a wooden floor in the dead of night. "Didn't you see it? The way Eren clings to Levi in a drug induced sleep is adorable."

"He isn't aware of his actions." Erwin tried passing it off as if it were nothing.

"Maybe so, but you saw Eren calm down instantly when he realized who it was that picked him up. Anyone in Eren's position wouldn't let anyone get near them, whether they were drugged or not. You can try and debunk that all you want, but the point is that Eren trusts Levi, even when he doesn't want to. Even when he thinks he doesn't, he does. It's all just a part of his tough guy act so people can't see how broken he really is."

"So it's just an act?" Erwin asked.

"To all of us but people Eren trusts."

* * *

Green eyes slowly blinked open, dull and unfocused to the surroundings bidding him good morning. There was an annoying clicking sound in his head, and with each click reality seemed to slip further into his mind. The clicking stopped soon enough, however, and that left his ears free to listen in on other sounds around him.

There was a rumbling sound; a car engine if he made it out right. Then there was the pitter patter of rain against a metal roof, and by the sound of it, it was pouring hard.

Again the clicking sound appeared. It was irritating beyond his wildest comprehension, and with a growl, he slowly lifted his head from what he found was a cold glass window. His head turned slowly, and as it did, his eyes chose this moment to focus in on everything that was around him.

He was in a car; that much was obvious. It was raining, pouring like he had guessed. The windshield wipers were going back and forth, and how he hadn't heard that sound he wasn't sure. The incessant clicking sound he continuously heard was the sound of the turn signal at every turn or change of lanes, and that was all done by Levi, who was quietly keeping his eyes on the road. Of course he was mouthing curse words like there would be no tomorrow, his eyes squinting to see better through the hazard that was the rain.

Eren blinked a few times, quiet and confused. He couldn't seemed to wrap his mind around his situation, or why he was in a car with Levi while it was raining. He remembered being at Levi's apartment, making breakfast. What had happened after that? It was all so fuzzy to him, too transparent to wrap his mind around. Why did his head feel so heavy too?

"You awake brat?" Eren's head flinched upwards at the sound of the older man's voice. He hadn't noticed when Levi's eyes flickered over to check on him, but they had, and now Eren was left more confused than before.

"… Yes," He croaked and winced. That wasn't his voice, was it?

"You've been slipping in and out of consciousness for a few minutes now. Are you sure you're awake?" Levi asked again. Eren's head nodded to avoid the use of his voice, because his throat hurt like hell. It hurt just to think of the idea of speaking. "That's good. We're a block away from my place, so just hang tight."

Eren's eyes looked out the windshield, but it wasn't easy to make out anything through the rain, sober or not. Everything was still very fuzzy for him, however, and no matter how much he tried, he couldn't remember how he got here.

Levi wasn't the type of person to drug people, right? No, that definitely wasn't it. Even if he was, Eren would rat him out and Levi would lose his job.

So what was he doing here?

"You can keep sleeping if you want." Levi spoke up again after noticing Eren wasn't dozing off like he had before. "Nanaba said you don't take kindly to light doses of medication, so she drugged you up pretty hard. You may want to sleep most of that off."

"What… H-Happened?" Eren asked, a shiver going down his spine.

"You don't remember?" When a red light came, Levi finally got the chance to look over at Eren.

"No…" Eren decided it would be best if he stuck to shorter, simpler answers. Levi uttered out another curse before pulling into a parking garage, or more specifically, the one belonging to his apartment building. The rain let up instantly, and Eren was glad to see that it had been the rain that caused the stress on his eyes, nothing more.

As far as he knew.

When the older man was able to park into a nice, safe, and dry parking spot, he was able to sit back and sigh. Today's events were getting to him too, and he didn't even have any medicine. He had pain medication in his medicine cabinet, and that was it. Eren was the lucky one when he got a good dose of lala land.

"What's the last thing you remember?" Levi asked while leaning his head back against his seat. Eren's eyes slipped closed, and for a moment he thought that the teen had fallen asleep, but when green eyes revealed themselves again, he realized that he was only thinking.

"Breakfast…" Eren mumbled and looked up at him. "Was it good?" At that, his eyes lightened up some, as if the mention of breakfast had his hopes rise. That had been part of his plan in the beginning though, hadn't it? Wasn't Eren simply trying to feed Levi?

"Well, I can't say. I never got the chance to have any. It went up in smoke before I could." Levi mentioned wearily, careful not to set Eren off again. "Does that ring a bell?"

It obviously did. The realization was readable through the expression on Eren's face as it all became clear to him, the memories of this morning making their way through the dim fog called his mind and shinning in the light.

"Yes…" He mumbled and covered his face with his good hand. Levi noticed his whole body begin to shake, his head tilting back and forth along with it. Small whimpers began leaving his lips, and behind his hand that he used to cover his face, tears began sliding down his cheeks. The brunette tried to wipe them away, but it wasn't enough. The tears were coming in big, fat, thick droplets that his shirt sleeve couldn't handle. Another panic attack?

No, Levi would make sure it wouldn't come to that.

"I-I'm sorry…" Eren sputtered, his lungs heaving in an attempt to control his breathing.

"No, Eren…" Levi pulled his seat belt off in order to fully lean over the console between them. He reached to undo the belt around Eren's waist and chest, and when he did, he yanked the boy forward so Eren could rest his head against him. "Shush, Eren, it's okay."

"It's not okay…" Eren mumbled. Levi forced his head up with both hands against wet cheeks before pushing his forehead into Eren's. The teen's eyes were wet, red, and already swollen from the crying, but Levi didn't let that deter his actions. He wasn't going to let this stop him from helping Eren.

"Stop it, Eren. Don't think about that." Levi said softly and rubbed the pads of his thumbs against his cheek bones. "Talk about something else."

"No…" He whimpered.

"Yes, Eren. It'll help you get your mind off of things." Levi noticed the way Eren's hands began to fumble under the blanket, but he wasn't sure if the brunette remembered biting himself yet. Some things may not have been there just yet, and Levi wasn't about to remind him. "Petra's father made a lot of food, and both of them said we can have the share that'd be thrown out otherwise. He's made food for us before, so I know he's a damn good cook."

Eren's red eyes looked up at the man, his lower lip sticking out some, as if he were pouting. Somehow, that endearing little gesture seemed to reassure Levi that he was okay, and that he was going to be okay. He had to remind himself that Eren was stronger than he let on, stronger than his own body could handle. Sure, he had his moments, but if Eren were truly weak, he would have ended this a long time ago.

"… W-What's the food?" He asked with a stutter. Levi couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the edges of his lips or the light breath that could be mistaken for a laugh pass his lips.

"On the way to the car, I think Petra mentioned something about steak bits and gravy." He told him. "And then I think there is a bowl of chicken in broth-"

Levi had his attention at steak bits, and Levi could tell by the small rumble that that was heard within the quiet car. Eren's head immediately tipped, a low whine escaping him, but Levi pulled off the part of pretending he hadn't heard Eren's stomach growling in hunger. He simply wiped his hands away of the tears from Eren's eyes and let himself out. He told Eren to stay put, and Eren did as told. When he got to the other side and opened the door, Eren had done exactly as was told. The only difference was that, while Eren was sitting patiently and waiting, he had found his bandaged hand that had been sitting under the blanket Petra had given him.

He was messing with the wrap with his good hand, trying to find where it started and ended, or maybe even frayed. He just wanted to take it off to see the damage, to see the wound that would eventually become a scar. He knew it would, just like all the others, but he had never gotten stiches for them before, and he wanted to see them and what they would look like.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. You have a greenstick fracture." Levi said as he leaned against the metal framework of his car.

"What's a green… Greenstick?" Eren asked, his eyes straying from his hand.

"You know when you snap a toothpick in half, but it doesn't separate? That's similar to what you did to your hand."

"Oh…" Eren muttered.

"Nanaba said it was minor though. It'll still be a few weeks until it's fully healed." Levi reached in and tapped at the top of Eren's head, fully grabbing his attention. When he knew he had it, judging by those big, green eyes on him, Levi held out his hand, waiting to see if Eren was willing to take it.

"I can do it." Eren continued talking quietly as he shifted within his seat. His feet hit the ground first, testing the feeling to see if he had any sensations left in them. He knew he was on some form of medication after what Levi said, but to its use was unknown for him. He pushed the blanket aside and used the car to stand, but the moment he let go of the door, he all but collapsed.

If Levi hadn't been there to catch him, the fall would have easily hurt.

"I got ya," Levi said with arms wrapped around him and keeping him up. Eren had no choice but to drape himself over the man and hold onto him by his shoulders to keep himself up, or risk falling on the ground that was damp from the rain.

"Thank you…" He said softly by the man's ear.

"Anytime…" Levi said and led Eren out of the parking garage.

* * *

The lights to the apartment were off, and the lingering smell of smoke hadn't yet left the air. The kitchen window was open, letting in a cold draft, but it did well to get rid of most of the smell. However, the cold draft from the rain pouring outside was enough to have the whole apartment feeling subarctic.

"Fuck…" Levi cursed. Eren wobbled on his side as the older man dragged him over to the couch, where he gingerly set him down. Eren fell like a lead weight, the couch screeching against the floor from his added weight, but it wasn't like he could help it. Levi didn't care either, and when Eren was settled against the couch, Levi pulled the blanket off of the chair and covered him with it. "How is this?"

"Cold…" Eren murmured. Levi rolled his eyes before sitting down next to Eren and tucking him in.

"I'll turn the heat up in a minute." Levi said.

"Mh…" It was all Eren could think of to respond.

"Do you want to take a nap? Maybe wear off the last of the drugs?" Levi asked. Eren's head slowly shook, but at the rate it shook and with how his eyes were drooping, Levi felt like Eren's response wasn't thoroughly thought through. "Uh huh… I'll go turn up the heat really quick." Levi said.

Before Levi could stand, however, there was a hand grabbing at the loop of his belt. It wasn't enough to stop him from going anywhere; if Levi really wanted to, he could stand and ignore the gesture entirely. It was when it happened that had him stopping to look at Eren, silently questioning his actions.

"Captain…" Eren mumbled, his eyes drooping sleepily.

"Yes, brat…?" Levi asked and grabbed at his hand.

"… Stay here…" His tone was weak again, broken and defeated. He was tired, physically and mentally, and it  _showed_. His expression could no longer be prideful, stoic, or even mad. He was tired, with red, swollen eyes and a frown that could beat anyone. He was barely clinging to reality; Levi knew that, but he didn't understand why Eren chose to fight to stay awake.

"Eren…" Levi said and sighed. He resituated himself on the couch, Eren immediately scooting over to give him more room before Levi spoke again. "We need to talk about this."

"About what…?" Eren asked.

"You know about what." Levi corrected him and placed a hand on his arm. "We need to talk about what happened."

Eren looked away, his attention pulled to some frayed thread hanging from a pillow like it was the most entertaining thing there was. This was his quiet and sly way of telling Levi that he didn't want to talk about it, but he also knew that it'd have to be brought up. He knew that he went overboard; he'd never done anything that insane before, so it was an obvious fact that he had to talk about it. He just didn't want to, especially not right now.

"Do we have to…?" Eren hesitated.

"Yes, we have to." Levi rubbed at Eren's arm, feeling the goosebumps rise up on his cold skin. "Trust me, I don't want to bring it up either."

"So then don't…" Eren argued.

"I have to, Eren." The older man let his hand press into Eren's cheek, curious to any leftover fever he may have. While Eren was flushed, it was more than likely from being cold than a fever. That, and he had been doing an excessive amount of crying today.

"I don't want to." Eren pouted. He slowly crossed his arms over his chest, like he was trying to prove his point, but Levi wasn't deterred by the motion at all.

"Eren," He said disapprovingly while Eren let out a long, prolonged sigh. "Listen, Eren, while I don't get the biting part, I know why you do it."

"You don't know anything." Eren scoffed.

"I know you do it to calm down. I scared you, and I'm sorry for doing that." Levi said. Eren did something that Levi knew every teen did, but that didn't make it any less annoying. He shrugged his shoulders lightly, his eyes looking from Levi to something else and then back again. He  _was_  listening, but he was trying to continue being annoyed. Levi hated it when someone would do that, but he hated it more that Eren was trying to play this off like it was nothing.

"I won't apologize for stopping you though. You could have really hurt yourself by doing that, worse than what you did. Eren," Levi waved his hand, making sure Eren looked at him. He needed Eren's full attention, because Eren needed to know how serious this was. "What you did was serious. I had to fight with Erwin to keep you."

That caught his attention.

"… Keep me…?" Eren asked wearily.

"Erwin wanted to admit you to Maria's. Do you know of it?" Levi asked.

"The crazy ward, right…?" Eren questioned, and Levi nodded his head.

"Yeah, that place. Erwin wanted to send you there, and so did Nanaba, the doctor who gave you those stiches. Both of them said you were mentally unstable, and they thought it'd be best to have you admitted so you can be watched, and so you don't do that to yourself again."

"What…?" It wasn't much of a question, but more of a surprised statement. Eren was looking at him with a mixture of amazement and fear with a shiver that didn't go unnoticed by the older man.

"I talked them out of it though. For now at least. Nanaba says that, since you don't have a legal parent or guardian with you, your rights can be taken away if her boss feels that you're still a harm to yourself. She can only stall for a few days before her boss gets a report and decides."

"What happens if they decide I should go?"

"I'll fight it. I'll see if Erwin can get a court order. You're a witness to a case, so that may help us." Levi explained.

"But…" Eren mumbled, his hand coming up to cover the quiver in his lips. Levi could see him breaking down slowly, fear spreading over him fast and reality setting in. The thought of being taken out of this place and put into an area he had heard bad rumors about scared him, but it wasn't just that. The idea of being put in there for God knows how long was more terrifying.

Eren was messed up. Even he knew that, and going there meant staying there. They'd pick away at every problem, and how long could that take? Months? Years?

It'd take a long time to get through the long list of things that was wrong with him. That long amount of time meant that he'd also lose what was important to him, which was Mikasa and Armin. He wouldn't get to see Armin or ever know if he was safe. He probably wouldn't even be updated about him from someone from the outside. He'd never get to save him. He would never get to know if Armin was okay, and he'd never know about Mikasa.

"Hey," Levi called to him and brushed a finger against his cheek. His skin was wet with tears that fell heavily, but he did his best to stop the flow.

"I don't want to go…" Eren whimpered while tilting his head into Levi's hand that welcomingly cupped his cheek.

"I won't let you." Levi said and pulled him close. The teen hid his face away in Levi's neck, the quiet sobs muffled by the scruff of his sweater. He cradled his head against him and held him close, with arms wrapped around him and his head on top of his.

"I don't want to go…" Eren repeated against his sweater and shook his head.

"I won't let you, Eren. I promise," Levi said softly. Eren's head shook again, but Levi wasn't sure what for. Was he denying the promise entirely, or did he not believe Levi? Why couldn't he just believe him? "I'll protect you…"

"I want to stay here..." Eren sobbed, a statement that made Levi freeze up for a moment. Levi thought it was just him imagining things, that he wasn't understanding the situation properly, that Eren was still a little loopy from his medicine, or that he was emotionally compromised, but Eren was still stronger than he let on to be. He had a big mouth, but he wouldn't say things like this without something important to imply.

Yes, he had heard what Eren had said, but he heard what Eren wanted to say as well. What he wanted to say, but still had too much pride to speak out.

' _I want to stay with you.'_

"Eren," Levi said and leaned back. Eren lifted his head without a second guess, knowing Levi's intentions and understanding that he needed to sit up. Levi cupped his hands against Eren's cheeks again, pulling him forward so their foreheads could rest together. Like this, Levi thought he could feel a fever on Eren's skin, but he couldn't be too sure. He felt warm, but there were so many reasons as to why that was. Levi wouldn't take it against him either if he felt sick. Eren had been through too much in one day to continue being tough.

"C-Captain…"

"Shh," Levi hushed. "Look at me, Eren…" He instructed, to which he was met with a watery gaze. "Eren, I promise you that I will protect you. I won't let anyone take you away from here."

He wasn't going to say  _"me."_  They'd work their way up to that together, but for the time being, they'd take slow steps towards it.

"Promise…?" Eren asked with a shivering voice.

"I promise." Levi assured him. " _Trust me_ , Eren. You're safe. No one is going to take you away…"

Eren's head fell back to his shoulder where it stayed for a good, long while. In that time, Eren cried more, a slight surprise to the officer. He didn't think Eren had anything left to cry, but obviously he was proven wrong. It took Eren twenty minutes to deplete anything else he had left in him, and by then, he was truly exhausted. There was nothing left but to sleep, which wasn't easy for him right now. All of the crying had left him congested with swollen eyes.

Levi momentarily left him to get him some medicine and tissues, as well as a cup of water. The medicine wouldn't kick in for a while, but the tissues and cup of water did well to help relax any leftover frayed nerves. After that, Eren went back to hiding himself against Levi. The only difference was that Eren decided at some point that it was comforting to lay completely on top of Levi with his head on his chest and his ear over his heart. Levi was more surprised in himself that he didn't find this at all irritating or annoying, but whether he did or not didn't matter. He knew that he had to work with Eren. Eren needed time to recover, and this was only one step in many to help him.

It wasn't until another half an hour of resting later that the quiet but comforting silence they had been surrounded by was broken by Eren's stomach growling. He whined, obviously embarrassed by the sound, but Levi simply rubbed at the back of his head and sat up, bringing Eren with him.

"You haven't had the chance to eat today, have you?" He asked. Eren shook his head, his face tilting down to hide his self.

"Not really…" He responded quietly.

"I haven't had anything to eat yet either. I'm starving." Levi said and moved to get up. Eren pouted before sitting up, his head lulling to the side in a tired motion. "How much did you eat yesterday?"

"Why does that matter…?"

"I want to make sure I can track how much you eat. We've got to start somewhere." Levi explained and received an awkward and tired stare. "So…? How much did you eat?"

"I didn't," Eren stated too easily.

"What do you mean  _'you didn't'?_ "

"I mean I didn't eat." He stated again.

"Eren…!" Levi bit out. "What about the dinner I made?"

"I wasn't hungry." Eren looked down at himself, to the hands coiling together in his lap. Levi was reminded again that he couldn't yell at Eren that way, or he'd have to deal with another trip to the hospital, but how could he not?

"So you didn't eat anything yesterday?" Levi asked, trying to calm the annoyance in his tone. He answered was a shake of the head and a small bite to his bottom lip. "When was the last time you ate then?" He couldn't help but ask, curiosity taking over.

He remembered Eren hadn't eaten anything the day he came in. Eren was too upset with him to even try leaving his room for a second, whether it was for food or the bathroom. Eren was sick most of the day after, and he refused to eat then too. Levi knew that, that wasn't so much rebellion, but because of his upset stomach. Beyond those days though, he couldn't remember seeing Eren with something to eat, even if it were small, like a sandwich. They'd been going through too much to even think about when he last ate, and that was a problem.

So, when Eren lifted his eyes up, as if deep in thought, Levi was mentally beating himself over the head.

"The fact that you have to think about it says something." Levi said and grabbed Eren's wrist. "Come on," He held back a growl.

"I-I'm not really hungry though," Eren tried to excuse.

"It doesn't matter if you  _feel_  hungry or not. You haven't had anything to eat in days and you're starving yourself. Your body needs food or you're going to collapse." Levi explained to him as he practically dragged the teen into the kitchen. He grabbed at the bag of food left from Petra and began unwrapping its contents, first pulling out some plates covered in tin foil and then two bowls. He wasn't even going to bother trying to separate food into shares. He could eat whatever was bought the day before, but for now, Eren was going to eat what was given to him.

The first plate had the steak, and inside one of the bowls was the gravy. He wasn't aware that there was some mashed potatoes on the plate before, but he was glad for it. He'd save the chicken soup in the other bowl for later, when it was needed as a smaller side dish, and popped the food into the microwave to heat up.

"That smells good…" Eren said with a breathy inhale after a few quiet moments. After a minute, the microwave timer went off, and Levi pulled the plate out roughly.

"Her father is a good cook," Levi said and placed the plate in front of him.

"… Wait, do you want me to eat all of it?" Eren asked, wide eyed and disturbingly terrified by the idea of it.

"That's the point." Levi said.

"Isn't this too much?" Eren questioned with a pointed finger to the plate.

"Just eat it." Levi said.

"What about you? Don't you want-?"

"Eren." Levi reprimanded and crossed his arms over his chest. "I'll eat some of the chicken soup when you eat that. Fair…?"

"… Not really."

"Eren." Levi scowled and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He inhaled deeply and looked at the brat in front of him, who was staring at him with a mixture of confusion and alertness. "You don't have some sort of eating disorder, do you?" The officer asked.

"Of course not!" Eren scoffed.

"Be honest with me, kid. If you do, we have to figure out what to do from here."

"I don't have an eating disorder!" Eren yipped. "I just don't get the chance to eat often, and sometimes I forget to! That doesn't mean that I don't eat!"

"Then eat." Levi motioned for him to eat again and pushed the plate forward.

Eren poked at the fork beside the plate for a moment before taking it up and poking at the steak bits. He looked up at Levi, eyes pleading for him not to do this to him, but Levi simply stared back with an annoyed glance. Eren sighed before picking up some of the food and stuffing it into his mouth, but the taste was quick to flood his senses. He was instantly reminded of how hungry he really was, his stomach growling in both protest and happiness. Protest, because he hadn't eaten for so long, and the food was becoming foreign to him. Happiness, because the food was exactly what his body was asking for, and it was exactly what he would need to give him energy.

After that first bite, everything else disappeared quickly. Eren began shoveling food into his mouth in record time, but he didn't bother trying to chew or swallow. The brunette was beginning to look like one of those chipmunks that hid food in their cheeks, and by this point, Levi couldn't let him continue that way.

"Hey, slow down." Levi said and set a hand on his shoulder. "I know you're hungry, but you're going to choke if you don't take it easy." He reminded him. Eren set the fork down on the plate and inhaled heavily with his puffed out cheeks. Levi thought it'd be easier if Eren simply spit his food out and tried again, but he saw Eren continue to chew slowly, his eyes beginning to water. "You okay?"

Eren nodded his head weakly and finally swallowed. He gasped out the moment he could breathe again, his face contorting in pain. It was obviously too much to swallow and it hurt, but at least he got it down.

"Better…?"

"Mhm…" Eren hummed and picked up the fork again. He began eating, but he took it slow this time. He picked up tinnier bits, swirling them around within the gravy, and plopping them in his mouth. Levi was going to need to remember to thank Petra's father for this, because this was probably the most decent food Eren had eaten in a while. He admitted that they ate fast food, so Levi couldn't imagine what Eren was used to digesting, but this was healthy food. This was what he needed on a daily basis.

So when the water in Eren's eyes became tears, Levi was no less than surprised.

"What's wrong…?" He asked and rubbed Eren's shoulder. With his mouth full from his last bite, Eren shook his head, fearing he may choke if he tried to swallow now in this state. He could barely breathe through his congested nose as it was, but he didn't want to spit out the food that was so good it was making his mouth water. Levi pulled his head close regardless and held him close though, hoping he could do something, anything to help him. "Chew carefully and swallow, Eren." He instructed softly.

Eren nodded his head, and after a few seconds of mental preparation and some excessive chewing, he swallowed. The moment he could open his mouth without food in it, he fell against Levi and let his head rest against the man's collar bone. He fisted his shirt into his hands, his knuckles turning white from the grip he had on it. He would have done anything to hide though, and it wasn't enough simply holding onto the older man like his life depended on it. It wasn't enough that he had promised him he'd protect him. It wasn't enough that he was here holding him, keeping him close and safe, warm and fed.

Why wasn't it enough…?

"Eren…" Levi whispered softly and ran his fingers through Eren's hair. He felt the questions within him bubbling up, threatening to spill, but he feared asking them. Or rather, he feared Eren's reaction to them, which wouldn't be good if he asked. He knew that, and yet he felt them slowly rising up his throat.

"C-Captain Levi…" Eren whimpered and wrapped his arms around his shoulder.

He wasn't close enough.

"Eren," Levi said and leaned back, which didn't bode well for Eren. "Where's Armin…?"

He shouldn't have asked. Even he knew that. He was treading back into bad territory that was sensitive for him, but the question came out regardless. It was wrong to be doing this to Eren. Hadn't he had enough for today?

"No…" Eren sat back, his arms falling from his shoulders to his chest.

"Eren, please tell me where he is." Levi pleaded with the teen and tried looking into his eyes, but Eren kept his head down and his bangs in his face. "Tell me where he is, Eren, and I'll go get him for you."

"No…" The teen shook his head.

"I'll go get him, and this can be all over. You can stop worrying about him; you'll know he's safe and he can-"

"No…!" Eren snapped at him and pushed out of his hold. Eren jumped away from the table and out of the room, leaving behind the half eaten plate of food for Levi to either eat or throw away. There was a moment of quiet before his bedroom door slammed shut, and after that, the whole apartment fell into silence.

He knew he had pushed too far with that. He knew that mentioning Armin wasn't something he should have done, but he couldn't help it. He thought Eren was emotional enough to let it finally slip, but he was wrong.

What was he thinking? Of course he was wrong. Eren was stronger than that, and he was stupid for thinking that this could all end just like that.

But why…? Why wouldn't Eren give him up? Why was Eren hiding Armin like it was the most important thing to do for him?

Armin wasn't safer if that's what he thought it was about. As it stood, Armin was probably in more danger than he had ever been in his life. He wasn't safe where he was, and it should have been obvious from that conversation on the phone.

Or maybe this was about  _pride_. Maybe Eren wanted to be the one to save him. Eren always had fears of never being able to save him, and maybe he wanted to be the one to get Armin out of that hell. After all, Eren had said he'd save Armin himself, but he didn't think that Eren would go so far. Was that really the case? Was this all about  _him_  being the one to save his brother?

Could he really not trust Levi that much? Hadn't Levi promised?

Well, that was a half assed thought. People broke promises all the time, and he was sure Eren had promises broken to him many times before. It wasn't fair, but that was how the world worked, and that was probably the case for him. He suffered from trust issues enough as it was, which just meant that Levi was going to have to work twice as hard to fix it.

Just another thing to work on for him.

Levi sighed and looked down at the plate of food. It wasn't a joke when Petra had said he made left overs, but he made a lot of them. There was enough on that plate to feed two or three people, and Eren managed most of it in a short amount of time. Levi knew he was still hungry through, still starving, and it wasn't a good thing to leave food behind like this. There was still plenty left, and it needed to be eaten. It wasn't good if Eren just ignored the rest of it.

The older man grabbed at the forgotten plate and fork and walked to Eren's room. He waited outside the door for a moment, listening in to any sounds that should tell him not to go in or burst in right away, but there were none. He couldn't even hear any sobbing or crying sounds, which worried him greatly. He thought about knocking, to be polite, but he remembered that Eren probably wouldn't appreciate that if he did it. He wasn't sure why, he just felt like Eren wouldn't like it.

He opened the door and poked his head in, looking around the room to make sure Eren wasn't going to throw anything at him or attack him from a blind spot. That wasn't the case at all, to his luck. Eren was sitting on his bed, legs pressed against his chest, arms wrapped around them, and his head hidden behind his knees. The moment the door opened, however, he lifted his head some to look at the man presenting a plate of food to him.

He looked upset. He looked  _guilty_. He looked like he was ready to throw in the towel and give up all together, but Levi ignored it. He wouldn't let Eren do that, because that was something they could tackle together. He had promised after all, and he wouldn't let Eren fall.

"I don't like it when people waste food." Levi simply stated and sat on the edge of the bed beside him. Eren looked down at the plate for a moment, but his eyes were back on him quickly.

Was he waiting to be punished? Was he still scared that Levi really would hurt him? He shouldn't have been thinking that way.

Levi  _promised_  him.

"I'm sorry…"

"Are you sorry for wasting food? If that's the case, then I'll accept it so long as you eat what's left." Levi said and set the plate in front of the brunette. Eren's eyes followed the plate with hunger and a bit of greed, but Levi wouldn't blame him for it.

"… Sure," Eren mumbled and picked up the plate. He didn't even waste time; he began eating again like nothing had happened and they hadn't just gone through what they had gone through. His portions and bites were smaller this time around, but he managed to clear the plate, and by the time it was empty, the food was doing its job.

Eren's head was lolling to the side, reality barely clinging to his tired senses. By the fifth head nod, his whole body moved to the side, but Levi's shoulder was there to catch him. The man rolled his eyes, but he wasn't against this. Eren hadn't had a decent night of sleep yet, as far as Levi could tell, and after a meal that heavy, it was definitely needed.

He wrapped his arms around the boy, but apparently Eren was still cognizant enough to cling onto him. He muttered intelligent phrases, too quiet for Levi to catch, all except for one.

" _Don't go…"_  It was a small whisper, and Levi couldn't possibly deny him that.

"Hold onto me." Levi instructed in a soft tone. Eren did as told, his arms barely holding onto his shoulders as Levi put the plate on the floor and pulled the blankets out from under him. He tucked Eren in, and once comfortably under the blankets (And thoroughly out cold), Levi settled himself down beside him. He'd make sure Eren would be out for good, long time before he tried heading back to bed himself.

Who knows? Maybe that would mean he'd just stay there for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, in case anyone is offended (or becomes offended) by the use of the terms "loony bin" or "crazy ward" within the past two chapters, I greatly apologize, because that's not the aim I'm looking for. The terms being used towards the metal hospital are used as symbols of rebellion (Eren) and disinterest towards higher power (Levi). I in no way think of the terms used are proper by any means and personally find them a little offensive myself, but they're simply for the build and structure of the story. Nothing more. Sorry if I offended anyone. ^^'  
> -Misty


	14. A Meal Fit for a Teen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what started as a normal day at work went spiraling into an all living hell, because my friend posted something about the new chapter of SNK. Well, she won't (hasn't even answered really) tell us where the hell to find it, even if it's in raw. So I'm talking to Marika, and she sends me a spoiler pick. Nothing serious at all. It's just a picture of baby Levi. So cute. So then my friend in Japan, Yuri, and I have spent an hour trying to translate what the hell is being said in the picture.
> 
> We'll get back to you in a week and tell you if we were right.
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Tsubaki
> 
> By: Disacode
> 
> P.S. If you want to see the serious amount of perverse jokes Marika made while beta reading this chapter, I'll post the pictures on my tumblr. ^^

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 14: A Meal Fit for a Teen**

* * *

"… You can't seriously expect me to swallow that?" Eren deadpanned while pointing to the giant, white pill in Levi's palm.

"Yes, I expect you to." Levi stated and placed it against the countertop beside two bottles of pills.

"What the fuck is that even?" Eren asked and picked up the biggest bottle of the two, the one that Levi had pulled the pill from.

"That bottle is for your vitamins. You're supposed to take one every day, preferably with something to eat. Hanji says they'll make you a little nauseous at first…" The officer stated, but he trailed off as his eyes drifted to the smaller bottle. "No wait… That was this one."

"What's that?" Eren asked.

"This is acute onset anxiety medication. Hanji said that, whenever you begin to panic to the level you did yesterday, you take one of these. She said they're supposed to kick in within minutes, but it doesn't last long. It's your job to keep yourself calm after that." Levi explained. "However, these aren't gummies. You don't just pop these into your mouth when you feel anxious."

Levi opened up the bottle and dumped a few of the small, blue pills into his hand. He held them up for Eren to look over, those green eyes curious at the items in his hand.

"These are for emergencies only, got it?" Levi asked.

"I got it," Eren said almost somberly.

"Hanji was talking to me over the phone about prescribing you some anti-depressant meds as well, but she wants to see how you do for the next few days." He continued talking as if Eren were listening, but Eren had long since tuned him out. Levi knew that to some degree, but he also knew that Eren hadn't been right since yesterday. After he had woken up this morning, he'd been very distant and drawn off. He couldn't seem to focus on anything for long before his eyes would look fogged over like he was deep in thought.

Part of it was probably a lack of sleep. After stuffing himself full last night, Eren woke up late, or rather,  _early_  into the night to puke it all up. Levi barely got him to the toilet before that happened, but all of the delicious food that was meant to make him better only made his condition worse. Levi did warn him about eating all of it so fast, but he knew that Eren was starving. It could all be replaced.

He felt like there was something else though. A lack of sleep and an empty stomach could do a lot of things, but this didn't feel like the only reasons. Levi could only wonder what was going through the kids head though. There could have been a multitude of things, the one in first place probably being Armin. Eren still hadn't said anything about the blond, and it didn't seem like he would any time soon, but why? He just couldn't figure out why.

"For now, I want you to take your vitamin and I'll make dinner."

"I can't eat that." Eren said, his focus suddenly turning back to Levi. Obviously he had tuned in at the wrong moment.

"You don't eat it. You just take it with some water or swallow it dry."

"It's too big!" Eren chirped out. Levi couldn't even voice what was going through his head right now, such as how he knew this kid had had bigger things shoved down his throat before and how that was nothing compared to this tiny ass pill.

He wouldn't say that out loud though. Of course not.

"Eren, you swallow chunks of food bigger than this. This is just a baby pill."

"Yeah, for a fucking baby horse." Eren countered back with.

"Just take the pill." Levi said and pushed it towards the brunette.

"I can't," Eren said and pushed it away. Levi sighed; so it was going to be one of those things, wasn't it?

"Take the pill." Levi said and held it up.

"I can't!"

"Yes you can, Eren." Levi grumbled irately.

"It's too big."

"It's not too big, brat."

"Can we cut it in half at least?"

"We aren't cutting it in half." The older man held it up closer to his face, to which Eren leaned back in his chair to get away from it.

"Shove it up my butt then."

"I'm not shoving it up your butt!" Levi barked, completely thrown off track that Eren would even suggest something so crazy. "You need to stop being such a big baby." Levi did him the honors of getting him a cup of water to make the process easier.

"I'm not being a big baby! That thing is too big for me to swallow!"

"Then fucking chew it, Eren. Just take the vitamin." Levi pressed the pill against his lips, but with nowhere to run except to fall backwards out of his chair, Eren had no choice but to let it pass his lips. The taste was bitter the moment it hit his tongue, making his face contort into an expression of disgust. He was prepared to open his mouth and spit it out, but Levi held the cup of water up to his lips and told him to take a drink.

Eren couldn't even muster up the strength to roll his eyes before he gratefully accepted the water. He took a quick swig, but he couldn't even take the moment to spit the pill out or swallow around it before Levi covered his hand over his mouth and held him still.

"Swallow it, Eren," He commanded. The teen whined weakly against his hand and put up a miniscule fight, but it was all for not. Levi wasn't moving his hand until he swallowed the damn pill. "And I swear to God, Eren, if you puke on me, you'll be on your hands and knees cleaning it up off of the floor."

"Mfgh…" Eren made a muffled sound of agreement before swallowing, his eyes tearing up when he felt the slide of the pill go down his throat. It was disgusting and painful at best, but at least it wasn't one of those moments where he felt the need to vomit it back up again.

"Good job, kid." Levi praised him and released his mouth. Eren took in a much needed gulp of air before drinking what was left of the water in his glass. Levi rolled his eyes at his actions, finding his behavior unbelievably childish. He had to remind himself, however, that Eren was still a child in many forms.

His life had been halted at fifteen and was now being thrown back in his face. He wouldn't doubt it if Eren did more than just this to be rebellious. At least it was better than spitting in his face though.

"I have to do that every day?" Eren asked with a hoarse voice. Levi nodded his head as he turned away to look inside the fridge, looking for the ingredients he would need to make dinner. "For how long?" The teen regrettably asked.

"Until you don't need them. That could be from a few days or a few years." Levi explained while pulling out the thawed out chicken that had been there since this morning.

"Really…?" Eren whined.

"Yep. It all depends on how you decide to treat your body. If you manage to eat healthy and get some weight on you, you won't need them." Levi didn't even need to continue explaining. Eren outright groaned, and the sound of his head hitting the counter resounded from behind the older man. Levi turned back to see Eren lifting his head and rubbing at his increasingly red forehead, a smirk pulling at the corners of his own lips.

That wasn't self-harm by any means. That was just a teenager trying to get attention and not properly thinking through their actions.

"If you want to go do something while I cook, you can. It's going to be about half an hour before anything is ready." Levi said as he set everything down on the counter. Eren's curious eyes followed through the multiple items with profound enthusiasm. Levi distantly wondered if Eren was even aware that he looked like that at times, especially after having such a sour expression on his face. He may not have known it though. Eren was a very prideful person, a person who didn't really show weakness as much as one could. Eren had shown it plenty of times, but there were still some lines that he refused to cross.

"Could I…" Eren began, but his voice trailed off into a dull mumble.

"Could you what?" Levi reiterated while setting pans down on the stove.

"C-Could I watch you?" Eren asked, and Levi thought he could see the faintest of colors form on Eren's cheeks. That could have just been from the setting sun outside, however. "I mean cook… Could I watch you do it?"

"Sure," Levi easily agreed. "If you want, you can help me. It'd save us some time and get our bellies full faster."

"N-No, I'm good." Eren assured and held his hands up. There was a moment where his eyes flickered up before looking back at him, but Levi saw the motion. He saw what Eren had been looking at, and that was the charred remains on his ceiling they had yet to clean. It was just from the smoke, and the smell still permeated the room, but it was the remains that upset Eren the most. His looking up was his way of reminding himself not to mess with things in the kitchen again.

"Suit yourself then. You can jump in and help any time you want though." Levi told him and turned his back to the boy so he could begin preparing.

He wasn't going to force Eren into anything he didn't want to do. They said they'd work at one thing at a time, and that entitled Eren to taking baby steps in certain areas he wasn't comfortable in, and at his own pace. Levi would surely have Eren use the stove at least once while he was here, but not now. Eren was still very tired and still very thrown off from yesterday, and Levi knew that it just wasn't the time to work on anything with him.

So instead of indulging on the idea any longer, he went about getting food ready. It was going to be a simple meal with simple prep, but the outcome would be a full belly, what Eren needed. Levi wasn't much of a top notch chef; he could barely cook noodles without them becoming soggy and overcooked, but he managed to memorize a recipe for chicken parmesan pasta that would be very beneficial to them both. Maybe it'd even help Eren sleep well that night, provided he didn't stuff his face full again.

He began with the chicken, slicing it up into small pieces and setting it aside. He made sure to be slow with his movements, knowing Eren was watching him and probably taking notes. When he looked back, however, after finishing with the chicken, Eren's head was against the counter again, his eyes hazed over and not even looking over at him.

"What's on your mind, brat?" Levi asked and set his knife down

"Nothing…" Eren responded in a muffled tone.

"You've been very quiet since yesterday." Levi remarked.

"No I haven't..." Eren apathetically argued.

"Yes you have," Levi came back with. "What's on your mind, brat?"

"... Everything," Eren eventually admitted in a breathy sigh, his head turning to face Levi.

"How so? Are you just thinking too hard on things that aren't important?" The older man questioned.

"No. That's my problem. I'm not thinking hard at all. It's just everything... There's just too much going on in my head and I can't think with all of this yelling." Levi turned around to question the brunette, but he was stopped by the disheveled look on the teen.

Eren was sitting up, but hunched over the counter with his hands over his head. Levi could see the teen even squeezing his head, not to hurt himself, but to put pressure on himself in an attempt to relax his mind. His eyes were shut painfully tight and his lips were turned down in an upsetting frown.

"What do you usually do to calm down?" Levi questioned, ignoring the food for a moment to have his full attention on him. He couldn't risk Eren doing something drastic again.

"Drink," Eren responded casually, but he still lacked any source of empathy. The older man had many responses to that, but none seemed to want to come out of his mouth. He was left with parted lips and cold breath as he stared at the brunette.

"Drink," Levi simply repeated. Nothing else wanted to come out besides that. Eren sighed, his hands coming down to rub at the sides of his head.

"Yeah... Yesterday, or well, this morning I guess, when the drugs were gone... It dawned on me that this is the first time I've been sober in a really long time..." Eren admitted, and instead of speaking up, Levi continued to watch him in mild, morbid fascination. "Everything isn't fuzzy anymore... It's just  _there_  and  _real_ , and..."

"You don't know how to handle it?" Levi finally asked. Eren nodded his head with a shaky breath before leaning back against the counter. "How often did you drink before this?"

"Before this...? Uhm... Everyday. Before work... I didn't do it to get drunk, just... Needed something to dull the pain. Not everyone is gentle with me."

Eren looked up, his green eyes quivering as he silently questioned the officer with his eyes.

"It's less pressure on yourself. You don't feel as guilty at the end of a night, right?" Levi asked, watching Eren's eyes widen at the statement.

"Yeah… Something along the lines." He could see it just from the brat's expression. He knew that Eren was seriously questioning how he knew so much about that, how he knew how it felt to feel that kind of guilt, to feel that sensation that only a liquid dosage of courage could get rid of.

"I told you, Eren. I learned from my worst mistakes." Levi mentioned once again before turning his attention back to the preparations for dinner. There was no sense in making Eren upset for nothing. "Come here," He instructed him.

"Why…?" Eren asked curiously, still a little dazed by this newfound information.

"I want you to help me make dinner." He said, but he saw the brief look of terror cross Eren's features.

"Oh, n-no, I think I've helped enough." Eren assured and sat back in his chair.

"I'll be watching you this time. Come on," With the way he spoke, the teen felt like he didn't have much of a choice. Levi knew this was pushing boundaries that the teen didn't like either, but he could assure him otherwise. Eren was greatly hesitant, and after yesterday morning, he figured as much, but he wouldn't let Eren have this irrational fear any longer. "As the saying goes, when you fall off of a horse, you have to get right back on. The same rules apply."

"Geeze, you sound like my father." Eren griped before walking over to the counter to stand by Levi.

The older man had to admit that he was a little surprised. He'd heard both Mikasa and Eren speak of the late Carla Jaeger, but not once had they said anything about Grisha. He figured that there was a reason, but Eren seemed fine mentioning the man with little to no reaction. When he mentioned Carla, there was at least something behind it. When he mentioned Grisha, it was like he was talking about some run of the mill stranger he'd only just met.

It was strange to say the least.

"Sorry," Levi apologized. "At the rate I'm going though, I'm never having kids. I'm just going to live vicariously through you for now." Levi openly joked, and it managed to pull a dry smile from Eren's lips as the brunette stared at the ingredients on the counter with interest.

"Where do we start?" Eren asked curiously.

"Well I've already cut up the chicken and stuck it in egg, so I want you to put the chicken into the bag of bread crumbs and shake it really well." Levi instructed once more while motioning to the open bag of crumbs.

"What are you making?" Eren asked as he eyeballed the chicken coated in egg with slight disgust.

" _We_  are making Chicken Parmesan." Levi corrected him. "Eren, that egg and chicken has seen more disgusting things, and I'm sure you have too. Pick it up."

Eren openingly sighed before pulling at the bits of chicken with his finger nails, trying his best not to get anything on him. It was a fruitless effort, however, and he was left with egg all over his fingers and palms. The chicken was in the bag though, and his mission was finished.

"What now?" Eren asked while wiping his hands off with a paper towel.

"Shake the bag." Levi said. Eren frowned before picking the bag back up and shaking it lightly. "No, no, Eren," Levi said with a small sigh. He grabbed at Eren's arms, and forced the teen into turning back and forth vigorously and quickly, the bag within Eren's grasp following him. "You have to shake like this." Levi instructed him, watching the smile forming on the teens lips split his cheeks in half.

The laugh that followed was equally happy, almost shocking in a way. Levi hadn't heard a sound so genuinely playful leave the teen yet, something so soft and relaxed that he sounded like any normal teen. It was a truly surprising sound, but it wasn't unwanted.

"Don't," Eren mumbled and shook the bag properly.

"Why...?" Levi asked. Eren obviously tried to hide his smile, but that resulted in an odd sort of pucker to his lips that the older man found endearing.

"It just... Kind of reminds me of something." Eren said quietly.

"Reminds you of what?"

"... In my dreams about the titans... There's a titan that runs around weird." Eren said. "Kind of like how you just moved me."

"Oh really...?" Levi said and pulled at Eren's arms. "You mean like this?"

"Yes," Eren said while holding back a laugh. "There's another one that runs with its hands up in the air like this," He continued while demonstrating the motions. He lifted his arms over his head and bent his hands into a claw-like position, mimicking what he remembered seeing within his dreams.

"I'm really curious to see what these titans look like now." Levi told him.

"When they aren't eating people, they look really dumb." Eren said. "Like,  _really_  dumb."

"Sounds like they are. You'll have to try and show me somehow. Maybe draw them."

"I draw stick people, but if you insist." Eren snickered.

"That's probably more realistic than what you dream about." Levi said before grabbing his hand. "That should be good."

"What now...?" Eren asked.

"Take them out of the bag. We're going to cook them now." Levi watched as Eren pulled out the pieces of chicken from the bag carefully, eyeing the pieces of meat with a scrunched up nose. "The olive oil is already in the pan, so go ahead and set them in."

"Will this stuff burn?" Eren asked wearily while motioning to the olive oil

"No, it's fine. It's just there to cook the chicken slowly and thoroughly."

"Okay…" Eren said skeptically. Obviously this wasn't something he was very keen on doing, but Levi wouldn't steer him wrong. Even if Eren didn't trust him much, he trusted him enough to know that Levi didn't want his home being burnt to the ground any time soon.

"Go ahead. All it'll do is sizzle a little." Levi lightly warned just before Eren dropped the first piece in. Just as he said, the chicken reacted quickly with the oil within the pan, and Eren all but jumped backwards in surprise.

"Uhm…"

"Don't worry. That's supposed to happen." Levi assured and motioned for him to continue. Eren took his word for it, but instead of dropping one piece in at a time, he turned the bag upside down and dumped the rest of its contents in. "There you go. Just like a professional."

"I don't think so," Eren shot down with a cheeky grin. "So… Now what?"

"Throw those noodles into the pot." Levi told him. Eren did as told quietly and without protest. After that, Eren seemed to know what it was that needed to be done. He watched carefully over the chicken that cooked within the frying pan, every now and again poking at it with the spatula that had been sitting against the counter top. He stirred the noodles to keep them from sticking within the pot, and once those were done, he followed Levi's instructions to the point.

He did as told, adding in the butter and shredded cheese while Levi handled the chicken. Levi mixed the two together to point that it was irreversible, and after a few more steps, such as adding some salt and pepper (not to Eren's portion though, because Eren apparently didn't like pepper), he served up the food.

Of course Eren was first. He needed the food more than Levi did, though he wouldn't deny that the food smelled delicious and made his mouth water some. They settled on the couch in the living room; normally Levi would eat at the table with company, but the idea of relaxing while watching some television seemed nice. He was sure it'd add some normalcy to Eren's hectic life as well, so how he could deny him?

When they settled down, he waited for Eren to eat. Eren poked around at the food, looking skeptical at it. He wasn't sure what to except, but Levi was sure his idea of it was going to be something that wasn't fast food. It wasn't grease covered French fries or a soda that would take away time from his young life. It was a healthy plate of food that was going to do him some good, but he was a kid. That didn't really apply to him, did it?

"Go ahead," The older man insisted. Eren's nose scrunched up as he took a heavy whiff of the food. While it smelled delicious, that didn't mean much in terms of looks or taste. However, he dug his fork into two pieces of chicken, noodles sliding out of the space and cheese stretching past their limits. "Come on, Eren."

"I know…" Eren quietly whined before practically inhaling his fork and food.

"Try to pace yourself today, Eren. I don't want you up in the middle of the night puking your guts out, and I'm sure you don't want the same." Levi told him while watching Eren's eyes light up.

"It's delicious," The teen said and swallowed with a smile.

"You did a good job, Eren." Levi praised him.

"Me…? I didn't do this." Eren denied as he continued eating. "I mean, you did more than me." He said with his mouth full.

"I did a lot of preparations and serving. You're the one who put things where they needed to be and when."

"Because you told me to." Eren uttered with cheese dangling from his lips and hanging off of his chin. Levi sighed before reaching forward and pulling at the cheese until it broke to place it back on his plate.

"I didn't tell you what to do to make sure nothing burned or stuck to the pan though. I didn't tell you how much cheese or salt to put on the food, or even how much you needed to shake the bag. You did all of that on your own, so be proud of yourself, brat." Levi concluded before finally getting the chance to eat off of his own plate. Eren watched him with baited breath, as if waiting for the man's response himself. Was he waiting for a positive reaction? Or was he thinking that Levi had lied, and was he waiting to see if Levi was going to react badly to the food he cooked.

There was something he was thinking that made him believe that he made this food.

"You really should be proud of yourself, Eren. This tastes really good," Levi proclaimed. Eren's expression visibly brightened up at his words, and for a moment, Levi wasn't sure this was the same kid he was looking at anymore.

"Really…?" He asked for conformation.

"Yes, really. You put just the right amount of cheese in this, as well as salt. I can taste it, but the salt isn't overpowering at all. It's a really good blend." Levi continued after that in silence, letting the TV drown out the silence, but for the rest of dinner as they sat there and ate in a quiet atmosphere, Levi felt the stare of the brunette on him. It wasn't threatening at all; it wasn't even angry.

He just seemed really happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a line in this I still can't believe I wrote...


	15. Story

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do I keep forgetting to update here? e-e  
> So this chapter is kind of a recap chapter. It's got new material in it, but it's kind of like a filler... With plot. Oh, and some stuff about Levi~ And his past~ And, if you haven't read "A Choice with No Regrets," or seen the OVA, be forewarned of spoilers. :3
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 15: Story**

* * *

_Entry # 3_

_Date: November 5_ _th_ _20xx_

_Time: 10:22 p.m._

_Subject: Eren Jaeger_

" _Yesterday, due to the onslaughter of a fever, I couldn't write my report, and I'm regretting it entirely. Too much has been going on, and now I'm not sure I can make this report two pages long._

_Eren Jaeger is an extremely difficult case, as previously stated in my last reports. Most victims, though sworn into silence by their pimps or too afraid to speak their minds, still seek help from us. Eren isn't like that. He doesn't want help, and he doesn't ask for it. Eren is stubborn, prideful, and a spitfire brat among other things. It's extremely annoying and detrimental to the case._

_An example given would be the whereabouts of Armin Arlert, eighteen year old childhood friend who has been missing since Eren and Mikasa Ackerman, my niece and another victim to the case, were taken into custody. Eren knows where he is; I'm sure of it, but he won't tell me where. He won't tell anyone where Armin is, and he won't tell us who his pimp is._

_If I didn't know any better, I'd think Armin was his pimp, but the kid is too innocent to be one. He's just as much of a victim as Eren and Mikasa are._

_Since then, Eren has been in contact with Armin once. This is the only time I'm aware of though. I haven't let my eyes off of him, and he hasn't slept by himself since, so I'm sure he hasn't tried contacting Armin again. He and Armin are trying to keep their heads together, and Eren is adamant about getting Armin away from his captor, but he wants to do it alone. He won't tell me where Armin is. I've blatantly said I'll go get him if Eren told me where he was, but he won't say a word. His only reaction is to get up and leave the room. Sometimes he cries, sometimes he doesn't._

_Within the short time span of a few days, Eren has broken down more times than I can imagine. This isn't the same rebellious teenager who was taken in almost a week ago. He's broken, defeated, and weak. He may still fight with a lot of things, but this kid wouldn't have clung to me the way he does now. He wouldn't have asked me if he could sleep in the same bed as he does now. He wouldn't stand so close, wouldn't talk to me, or wouldn't even open up about small details like he does now._

_He's falling apart on me. Just yesterday we were in the hospital, because after a nasty panic attack, Eren bit through his thumb as a means to calm himself down. The injury required stitches and left him with a greenstick fracture that'll take some time to heal, and afterwards, all he could do was cry. He admitted that he hadn't had anything to eat in days, and that's partially my fault for not watching over him more thoroughly. I cooked leftovers Petra had given us (All of which he puked up in the middle of the night) and ended up sleeping beside him in his bed when he passed out on me._

_He's been very clingy to me since yesterday, since the drugs the hospital prescribed him wore off and since he's had proper food in his stomach. He sits by me closer now, and he's a lot more talkative than he was before. He talks about small things, like his favorite color, which is blue (Though I don't think it's pertinent to the case), or how he likes the ocean and wants to go someday with Armin and Mikasa. He's talked about his nightmares, and how the titans within his dreams of the dumbest pieces of shit when they aren't eating people. The titans aren't something you mess with though when it comes to him. Don't make jokes about them with him._

_He talks about his mom sometimes, more so her than his father. He talks about how she used to know when he would be lying, and she always knew because the tips of his ears would turn red. This, I feel, is a good thing to remember._

_\- Eren's ears turn red when he lies._

_He talked about how she and him argued all of the time, but he still loved her. After that particular conversation, however, he broke down and cried again. I knew that wasn't easy for him to talk about, so all I could do was lend him my shoulder and sit with him._

_I can't tell him it's going to be okay. I can't promise that to someone like him in this situation, because I don't know it. I can't say everything is going to be alright when it might not be. I can only tell him things to help him calm down and relax and hope for the best. Sometimes excessive talking helps, like happy memories that'll bring a smile to his face, and sometimes just staying quiet helps. Sometimes he prefers to just lay against me until he's relaxed, or until he's fallen asleep. I wouldn't have such a problem with the latter decision if it weren't for the fact that he'll actually use me as a pillow, and then I can't go anywhere._

_Eren has improved on some things though. After the incident yesterday morning with the fire alarms, I managed to get Eren to cook. It was a simple meal, but we tackled one small problem that wouldn't be a concern for later. It was the first time he had mentioned his father too._

_Moments like this, however, show me that Eren can be human. He smiled, he made small jokes, and we sat at the couch and watched TV together. This, I figured, was a decent way to show him that this was what a normal life was supposed to be fabricated on. He liked it too; the way his eyes lit up, the smile he showed, and the laughs he let out were all real and happy. It was just proof enough._

_He likes being complimented too. He isn't egotistical in any way, but he enjoyed getting a small reward for doing something right. He's probably used to doing things wrong intentionally for the sake of getting attention. It didn't even matter if it was good or bad so long as he got it. This was new, and I knew he liked it. If I could teach him the differences between right and wrong, the differences in a reward and a punishment, there might still be some hope left for him._

_There is still hope for this brat yet."_

"Captain Levi…?"

The older man's eyes lifted from the paper in his lap to the door leading to his room. Eren stood by the door in his pajamas with his sleeve angled off to the side, his hair mused in all sorts of different directions, and bags prominent under his eyes.

"Eren," Levi said softly and put his pencil down. "What are you doing awake? I thought you went to bed two hours ago."

"I did, but…" Eren began, but stopped short as his eyes fell to the floor. "I-I can't sleep."

"Why, what's wrong?" Levi asked him and sat up against his pillows. Eren's hands sat tightly at his lap, tangled together in a mess of fabric and fingers. He looked embarrassed more than anything, but Levi couldn't have been sure why.

"I uhm… I-I thought that you would… Would want someone to sleep with, so I… Uhm…"

"Someone to sleep with?" Levi questioned skeptically.

"Yeah, well… Y-You were so sick yesterday, and I thought maybe you'd be cold. You slept with me that one night, so I thought… That…  _You know…"_

Levi felt the need to fight off a smile. This kid and his pride. He couldn't just admit that he wanted to sleep in Levi's bed. He had to make up some piss poor excuse for it.

"Yeah, I am a little cold actually." Levi said and shifted his legs under his covers, as if acting like he had goosebumps. Eren's green eyes darted up to meet his, wide and surprised.

"Wait, really…?" He asked, obviously very confused. He didn't realize that he had been caught at all, but Levi didn't feel the need to divulge in false hope.

"Yeah. I could use a personal heater." Levi said and scooted to the side. "Come on," He indulged. This wouldn't be the last time he would do this for the kid.

"Oh… Y-Yeah," Eren stuttered and walked over to the side made clear for him on the bed. He frowned when looking at the bed, trying to figure out by himself if he should bother getting his own blanket or climbing into bed beside the man. After a brief glimpse at the officer, Levi pulled the covers back for him, letting Eren take the invitation happily.

Levi turned a blind eye when Eren tried to hide a smile. He wasn't sure if it was relief or happiness, maybe even both, but Eren tried to hide it regardless, which resulted in an odd pucker from his lips. He was trying to hide it, and Levi would respect that.

For now.

Eren dropped down into bed beside him and settled in. He didn't need Levi to tuck him in, simply pulling the duvet up over his shoulders and under his chin. He rolled onto his side, eyes looking up at the man whose attention had been diverted back to his report. Eren looked at the paper, but from this position and the distance between them, he couldn't make heads or tails of the words.

"What are you writing?" He asked quietly.

"I thought you were going to sleep?" Levi questioned back and looked at him from the corner of his eyes, a look that made the boy lean back against the pillows. Levi rolled his eyes before lifting a hand and rubbing Eren's head. "It's a report about you."

"Doesn't sound like a report. Sounds like a book." Eren grumbled into the pillow. Levi shook his head lightly before leaving Eren's head alone and grabbing at his pencil to continue writing.

"It's just progress over the past few days." Levi told him. He probably shouldn't have been discussing it with Eren; no, that was a lie. He definitely  _shouldn't_  have been discussing it with Eren. It was against the rules, and it could have easily cost him his job, but there wasn't anything in this report that Eren didn't already know. There wasn't something in here that was going to spill a secret, so simply mentioning what it was shouldn't do much harm.

"What progress…?" Eren blatantly scoffed off the idea, seemingly too ridiculous for his mind to understand.

"You've done better than you think you have, Eren." Levi told him and reached down to rub at his head again, his eyes not leaving his paper.

"Give me something I can believe." The teen challenged, but it was weak hearted. Obviously he was too busy enjoying the touch of Levi's hand in his hair, the light scratch of nails against his scalp, and the light amount of pressure added to certain areas.

"You're eating." The man stated. "You're eating food that's healthy, that you made. You even cooked it."

"One thing…"

"Eren, don't be hard on yourself. I know that's a hard thing to do, but it's something you have to learn how to do. Besides, your attitude has improved immensely if I do say so myself."

"My attitude? I don't have an attitude." To that, Levi looked down at the teen beside him with a quirk in his eyebrow. "Shut up…" Eren mumbled and pulled the duvet up further over his head.

"Well, that has improved too."

"What has?"

"Had I bothered insulting you, you would have spit in my face again. That's a definite positive to me." Levi left his head alone again in order to continue his writing. He was going to have to mention something about Eren's attitude, because that was something that had improved. Whether it was towards only him or not, Eren had gotten better about lashing out. He was still defiant, but he was more willing to hear someone out.

"… Sorry about that." Eren mumbled beside him.

"About what…?"

"About spitting on you," He told him. Levi looked down again, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at the kid. Eren had, at some point, scooted closer to him. When, he wasn't sure, but now there was only an inch or two of space left between them. If Eren moved his legs any closer, they'd be brushing against Levi's feet. "I don't… Spit isn't cool, but I was just so mad, I…"

Levi looked back at his report.

He was wrong, wasn't he? Every previous thought he had about Eren was completely, entirely wrong. Eren wasn't as rebellious as he thought he was, but defensive. What he had just said proved it. All of the actions that had taken place before all of this proved it.

Had Eren never been taken into custody, would he have spit on him? Would he have tried to smother Levi with a pillow? Would he have fought back, cussed him out, or even had tried to threaten him the way he had?

All of this was provocation. Hanji was right and wrong when they had last talked. Eren was a scared dog thrown in between a bunch of men trying to hurt him. They were by no means trying to harm him, but Eren didn't know that. He was scared, and all he was doing was trying to protect himself and his family. He was just trying to protect what he knew was normalcy.

Levi wanted to hit himself over the head for not thinking of this sooner. He had been provoked, and all they had done wasn't helping him much. It was just continuing to scare him.

Yes, they had made progress, but at what expense? His sanity? Eren was a broken and tortured soul who had no idea how to live outside of what he knew, and like anyone afraid of change or something new, they'd try to fight it.

That was all Eren was doing. He was constantly fighting, and that risked a heavy burden on his shoulders, but it was all he knew. All he knew was how to fight if he wanted to survive.

Wasn't that all anyone was doing in this world?

Fighting for survival?

"Captain Levi…?" Eren asked softly, his eyes staring up at him innocently. Levi was once again silently cursing at himself.

He was still just a kid.

"Come here…" Levi said and set his report down beside him.

"Huh…?"

"Come here." Levi said and stretched out his legs. Eren seemed utterly confused, and who wouldn't be? However, the prospect of a warm spot to sleep tonight was too tempting for someone like him to pass up. He wasn't used to sleeping alone, and even when sleeping with Mikasa and Armin, one or the other, maybe even both, they were always cuddled up against him. It wasn't normal for a cold spot to be present between two people, so who was he to pass up the offer?

Eren scooted closer once more, this time allowing his arm to loop around Levi's waist. His head fell against his hip, the side of his face placed gently against his stomach where he could still hear the older man's heartbeat. He could hear every sound pass through the man's body, even the content sigh he released as he threaded his fingers back into soft, thick hair and pulled lightly to undo a tangle.

Eren closed his eyes with a sigh, enjoying the sensations. His body reveled in the warmth beside him, the touch of someone else against him, and the heartbeat within his ears. However, he couldn't disconcert the sound of the man's heartbeat from his own anymore. His was beginning to beat hectically, a sound that drummed within his own ears loudly. It was hard to tell whose heartbeat was whose anymore.

"How's this…?" The officer asked gently.

"Nice…" Eren mumbled against his stomach and sighed again. "… Is it warm?"

"I was getting a little cold, so yeah." Levi told him and shifted a free leg up to bend. He picked at his report again to write, but this position wasn't amendable. In the brief moment of awareness, Levi had momentarily forgotten that he was left handed, and that Eren was laying on his left side. His left hand was currently occupied at the base of Eren's skull, languidly pressing against well-known muscles to massage.

There was no way he could continue on like this, but as he read his report, he found it more and more incomplete. Sure, the details of the past few days and what had transpired were right, but it was the information pertaining to Eren that was wrong. It was all wrong, and looking at it now, Levi knew he was going to have to rewrite all of this. It just wasn't good enough.

"Hey, Levi…" Eren said quietly, pulling Levi from his thoughts.

"Yeah…?" He asked and looked down at the mop of brown hair against his hip.

"He's not coming back, is he?" The teen asked.

"Who's not coming back?" Did he mean Armin?

"My dad…" Eren answered.

"Your… What made you think about him?" Levi couldn't help but wonder. Eren's hand lifted off of his thigh to press into the writing on the paper, pointing to a certain paragraph within the page.

Of course Eren had been reading his report. It was right there in plain sight for him to see, right there for him like an open book. Right there on the paper, clear as day, it talked about how Eren mentioned his father, and that was all it took to implant the idea into his head.

"You don't know that, Eren." Levi mumbled.

"But it's been three years… You would think that…"

"Think what…?"

"Wouldn't you think that a father would come back for his kids?" Eren asked, his voice shaking like he was trying not to cry. "Why would he do this to us?"

So Eren understood then? He understood far more than what Levi had predicted, and this was far more than what Eren had talked about before.

"We don't know, Eren. I'll do my best to figure it out though."

"How…?" Eren asked and looked up. "Police gave up a long time ago…" Levi brought his other up to rub against Eren's cheek, trying to calm him down.

"I'll figure it out. I'm not good at making decisions; I never have been, because that's Erwin's job, but we'll work together. I promise."

Another promise, but he intended to keep it. He wasn't going to let Eren down. He wasn't going to lie to him and abandon him like this

"Levi... Why are you doing this?" Eren suddenly asked, his voice meek and trembling.

"What does that mean?" Levi asked.

"You know what I mean..." The tremble in Eren became more obvious the longer Levi sat and waited for something more, a better explanation or response, but none came.

"I think that's a pretty vague question." Levi stated, but that wasn't the response Eren was looking for.

"Why are you helping me?" The brunette asked while his grip around Levi's hip tightened. "Why are you taking care of me? Why are you dealing with all of my shit? Why...? W-Why...?"

"Because I can." The older man said. Eren's eyes widened, trying to measure up the answer he was given. He wasn't expecting an answer like that. "Because I'm not giving up on you."

"Why...?" Eren asked, his voice boarding on begging. "I-I'm so fucked up, I... I-I'm just a lost cause."

"No you're not." Levi shifted his weight as he spoke, but Eren's grip on him was so tight, there were no chances of sitting up anytime soon.

"Yes I am!" Eren insisted. "Why are you putting so much effort into someone whose probably going to end up dead in the end-" Eren was quickly stopped when Levi grabbed at his face, forcibly puckering his lips and shutting him up.

"First off; no, you  _are not_  a lost cause." Levi stated, and Eren whined and tried to shake himself free. Levi reprimanded him though, forcing the boy's chin forward so his eyes were on him, and on him only. "Second off, if I hear you talk like that again, you'll be on the next ambulance to the crazy ward, got it?"

That was enough motivation to keep Eren quiet. When Levi felt like the brat wouldn't say anything more on that dreaded subject, he released the boy's cheeks. Eren winced and stretched his jaw out, trying to rearrange it after having it in such an awkward position for such a short amount of time.

"Now with that out of the way, why do you think that way?" Levi asked, acting as if that hadn't done anything wrong.

"About what?" Eren asked with a scrunched up nose.

"Why do you think you aren't worth it?"

"B-Because..." Eren started off lamely. "... There's so much wrong with me..."

"Like what?" Levi asked innocently.

"My nightmares, a-and my..." Eren really couldn't think of anything else, but Levi knew why. Eren had everything written out in his head. He had all of the excuses and uncertainties explained perfectly, but when it came to verbalizing them and making them out into actual words, it became a challenge.

The nightmares were just one of many things, but that was probably the easiest to explain. Explaining that he had slept with more people than Levi ever had and ever would in life was something, but how could he say that? Talking about his problems towards punishment wasn't an easy topic either. He was terrified of fire, had PTSD, and the sound of a fire alarm would make him cry and lose his shit in seconds.

Could these be considered problems though? Levi couldn't see them as that. He saw those things as more of a challenge, and like any challenge, it had to be faced head on and tackled. It wouldn't be solved in seconds, minutes, not even days. It could take years to sort through each and every thing that he had been through and repair it, and even then, the scars would remain. Scars fade though, and eventually, people forgot they were there. There were reminders of them, but,  _eventually_ , those reminders didn't mean as much.

If only Eren understood that, but Levi knew he wouldn't, not yet at least. It'd be a long while before he would understand it, but they could work to that.

"Eren, sit up for a moment." Levi said.

"Huh...?"

"Sit up for a moment." Levi said and motioned for Eren to move. The teen did, sitting up until Levi could wrap his arms around him and pull him down against his chest. Levi expected some sort of questioning or a rebuke to this, but instead, all Eren did was relax against him as the man laid back on his bed. He was slightly surprised when he did, but grateful nonetheless. "Better...?"

"Mhm..." Eren hummed in agreement.

"Good." Levi sighed as he ran his fingers through Eren's hair. "You'll need to be comfortable for this."

"For what...?" Eren asked and looked up at the older man.

"Eren, do you remember when I said I learned from mistakes before?" He asked, not bothering to meet the boy's green gaze.

"Yeah..."

"Well, I'm going to tell you what I endured." Levi simply stated.

"Really...?" Eren asked and lifted his head.

"Yes, now be quiet." Levi said and forced Eren's head back down against his shoulder. Eren groaned, but he didn't say anymore, which was all Levi could ask for. He sighed, feeling the beginnings of anxiety beginning to set in his bones. "Alright, so before I was a cop, about... Six years ago, I used to be a very fucked up person."

Did he really want to talk about his? Did he really want to admit to all of the things that had happened to him, and to a  _kid_? Was he willing to teach this kid a lesson by telling him of his own experiences?

If it meant Eren would gain something out of this, then yes he was.

"I used to live with my best friend and my little sister. Now, she wasn't really my sister. I found Isabel when she was a kid in an alleyway. Her mother had slit her wrists, and she left a note beside her kid, saying to take care of her. So of course I did. I wasn't going to leave some child alone to fend for themselves. I'd been through that shit, and I knew how bad it was."

"Isabel just picked up the "big bro" persona sometime later. My friend, Farlan, helped me take care of her. He was a gang member himself, constantly trying to get me to join him, but eventually he found his way to my side instead. We were a strange bunch, but... It was home. Even when we couldn't sleep under a roof, we were together."

Bothering a glance down, Levi saw Eren's eyes still on him. He was hanging on every word Levi spoke, somehow upsetting the nerves already frayed. Levi didn't understand the fascination behind his story, but he had no choice but to continue now.

"Back then, I had a very bad drug problem. I'd do anything for cocaine or ecstasy, or anything that would get rid of my problems for just a few minutes... For a while, Isabel and Farlan knew nothing of it. I did pretty well of waiting until they were asleep, or if they weren't home. I was definitely caught, but even though I promised them I wouldn't do it again… Well, it was an addiction. It shouldn't be hard to guess that I kept on abusing them."

Eren shifted beside him, his head tilting off to the side for a better look at the older man. It wasn't appreciated at all, but he couldn't blame Eren for any of his problems. The brat had nothing to do with this. It just wasn't easy speaking up about them. Only a few select people knew of his past, and the ones who did were the ones who were there. He never bothered talking about any of it before, which meant that Eren had a front row seat to be the first to hear of it.

It was terrifying in his own way.

"The guy who sold me my usual stuff raised his prices, and I begged for just something. Work had been scarce, and my last paycheck went to pay our slum of a landlord if we wanted to keep the one place we had owned for an extended period of time. I said I would do anything if it meant getting a quick fix... And I meant it."

"What did you do...?" Eren asked.

"I messed up, Eren." The words sounded vaguely familiar to the boy, but it wasn't until it sunk in that he realized that this was something he had said as well. "I sold myself. I let him and six other guys have their way with me just so I could get high. I just drank as much as I could beforehand so I wouldn't be in so much pain from it... And it all went to hell from there."

"Why, what happened…?" It didn't occur to Eren that he should be ginger with the subject. He was just an eighteen year old, and what Levi was doing was telling him his story in hopes that Eren would learn from it. Levi couldn't be mad at him for not pacing the older man, but it was still cringe worthy to say the least.

"I had told Isabel and Farlan I'd be home cleaning while they went out to try scrounging up food for dinner. I figured it'd be easy to do the deed before they got back, but… They came back a lot sooner than I thought they would… It always worked before, so I don't know what made this time different."

"So they… They saw…?" Eren asked, his voice skipping. He was beginning to see it himself. He was seeing how the topic was becoming harder to speak of, and the boundaries were set. He had to walk on eggshells, as the saying goes, if he didn't want to upset him.

"I wish that was all that happened." Levi sighed and tilted his head to rest on top of Eren's. His hands tightened around him, the one on his waist moving to his arm to hold, however, while his other hand brushed at the fine hairs on his neck. "They came home and saw everything. Isabel screamed and ran out of the room. Farlan used language I had never heard him say before, threatening to kill the bastards who touched me… And I was so drunk I couldn't really comprehend it all."

"So they got help…?" Eren assumed, and oh, how Levi wished that was true.

"No. It was seven guys against them. Even though Farlan put up a good fight, it just wasn't good enough. The bastards even went about breaking both of his legs to make sure he couldn't keep moving." Eren's eyes widened. Obviously this wasn't a happy fairy tale ending he was expecting.

"And… Your little sister…?" The hesitancy was obvious in his voice now. There was no way he could hide it.

There was a short pause, Levi's grip around him tightening. Eren wasn't entirely sure if he should have said something more, or maybe even offered that Levi didn't need to say anything, but by the time the idea came to mind, Levi already spoke up.

"I vaguely remember seeing someone smash her head into the wall a few times."

That was a lie. He wasn't so drunk at the time that he didn't remember seeing Farlan cry out in pain when they broke his legs. He wasn't so drunk that he didn't count how many times the man threw his sister's skull into the wall. Four times in fact before throwing her to the floor to bleed out. Even some of the drunkest of people couldn't forget that, and Levi had wished he had drank more that day. Maybe then the image of Farlan's legs wouldn't be engrained into his eyesight. Maybe then the sound of Isabel's head as it was thrown into cement wouldn't ring in his ears when he woke up in the morning and before he fell asleep.

"So… They're…" Eren muttered, too afraid to finish the sentence.

"… Farlan was bound to a wheelchair for two years. Because of that, he couldn't even finish high school. Isabel… Was in a coma for three years."

"But she woke up, didn't she?" Eren asked.

"… She did." Levi said very apathetically. Eren tilted his head as he sat up on his elbows, trying to get the rest of the story out of the older man's eyes, but it wasn't working.

"S-So what happened? I mean, they're both okay, aren't they?"

"Last I heard, yes."

"What do you mean  _'last you heard'_? Where are they now?"

"Living on their own, far away from where I am. For the better." Levi explained as he pulled Eren back down against his chest. He couldn't handle looking at the teen right now.

"How is that better though? I don't get it."

"Eren, I can't be near them. It's not good for them if I am. I nearly got arrested back then when I tried to see them." Levi told him while hoping that rubbing his head would shut him up. It should have been obvious that it wouldn't though. He started the story with the intent of  _something_ , though that something wasn't very clear anymore.

"Wait, how come you weren't arrested back then?" Eren asked as his arms looped back around Levi's waist. "I mean, you were selling your body for drugs. Wouldn't that get you in trouble?"

"It did. Not to mention that I had endangered the lives of two minors. Had it not been for Erwin, I would still be serving a lifetime in jail."

"Erwin...? You mean Commander Erwin, don't you?" Eren asked and peeked up at the man from behind his bangs.

"Yeah…"

"What did Erwin do?"

"I've said it before: There's a portion of the people in the precinct who have wanted to be cops since they were born. There's another portion of us, however, that were brought into this by Erwin. He likes to take in ' _strays'_  and raise us up from the ground. People like Gunther, Hanji and I are those strays that he took in." Levi spoke and made visible air quotes when he used the word strays.

"So he helped you…?"

"More or less, though I had to spend time in a psychiatric hospital for a year and a half before I was allowed to even be allowed on the streets."

"You were in one?" Eren's head darted up at the mention of the hospital, the back of his head nearly whacking Levi's chin in the process. It was just sheer luck that it missed by an inch. "Why though…?"

"Because I was a drug addict who was threatening the lives of anyone who tried to take me away from Isabel or Farlan's hospital rooms. Erwin  _really_  had to fight to keep me, because I was a damn mess... But he did save me."

"But why Erwin…?" Eren asked quietly. "Why follow him…?"

"Erwin was always gazing up at something I could never see. I've never known what decisions to make, but he always seemed to, and he still does. Whether he's guessing or not, it doesn't matter. I follow him, because I know he's right. I trust him, and he hasn't steered me wrong yet. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be here right now, and I have to believe in him the way he believed someone as bad as me could make a full recovery."

Levi looked down again, finding those big, green eyes of the brunette's on him like he was seeing God. He was so curious, so innocent to this whole conversation, and to say the least, it was a bit unnerving.

"Do you know why I told you this story about myself, Eren…?" He asked him while pressing his finger into his cheek.

"… I-I think so." Eren mumbled.

"I told you this, because I know where you are right now. I know how you feel, this position and this pain you're going through. I know how trapped you feel, like you're drowning under water, and no matter how much you kick, you can't get back to the surface." The more he talked, the more Eren seemed mesmerized by him. He was drinking in every word that was being said, fully taking in their meanings and why it was being said. He was truly taking what was being said to heart.

To this though, Levi wasn't entirely sure if he felt grateful or not.

"But I also know what it's like to finally start moving again. I know how hopeless it all feels, but someone as pitiful and as fucked up as I was got back up, and I know you can too."

"B-But I-" Levi quickly covered the teen's mouth before he could say anything more.

"You aren't alone in this, Eren. Everyone down at the station; Petra, Gunther, Eld, Ouluo, Hanji, Erwin and I want to help you. We want to see you get out of this safely, and we'll do anything it takes. You just have to trust us, alright?"

The inner edges of Eren's eyes became red, a telltale sign that he felt ready to cry. The muscles under Levi's hand tightened with the battle to keep himself together, but it was a battle lost. Tears eventually spilled over his eyes, curving down his cheeks and onto Levi's hand where the paths were cut in half. Levi sighed to himself as he pulled his hand away to brush Eren's bangs away. Free from his hand, Eren let out a muffled sound before hiding his head in Levi's sweater, purposely pulling it up to cover what was left that showed of his face.

Levi readjusted his grip on Eren, his arm becoming a pillow for the teen as he rolled over onto his side to face him. This position was better for the both of them. Like this, Eren could simply rest against the man, his body pressed close and his face gently tucked away in his neck. Like this, it was easier for Levi to have his arms around the boy and keep him warm. It was easier for him to hold him and keep him close until he could calm down.

"You have to trust us, Eren…" Levi whispered beside his ear. Eren's head bobbed up and down, but Levi wasn't entirely sure what that meant. Was he agreeing with him? Was he telling him in his own way that he would trust him? Or was this just an accident?

"C-Captain Levi…" Eren whined against his neck. He wasn't as emotional as Levi had previously though. Choked up was a better way to describe how he was feeling, because Eren was already calming down. It was either that, or he was too tired to continue crying any longer.

"It's alright, Eren. Just go to sleep." Levi told him while tugging the duvet to lay on his shoulders. Eren shook his head, and Levi was ready to reprimand him and tell him to go to sleep, but realized too little too late that the brat was simply wiping his face off against Levi's shirt.

The brat.

"Captain Levi…" Eren mumbled, far more composed than he was earlier, though he still had a shiver in his voice that proved he had once been crying.

"Go to sleep, Eren." Levi told him again, but the teen seemed adamant about saying what he needed to say.

"You shouldn't… Leave things unresolved with your family…" Eren said quietly, his voice muffled by the sweater pressed into his mouth.

"What…?" Levi asked and tried sitting up, but a simple look down answered the already rising question.

Eren was out cold. It'd take a train smacking into the building to wake him up, judging from how deep into his sleep he looked. Levi wasn't even entirely sure if it was that natural to fall asleep so fast and so hard. As far as he was aware, people didn't genuinely fall asleep like that, provided they weren't on drugs.

Vitamins wouldn't do that to a person, would they? Levi wasn't a doctor by any means, but he didn't think that was the case.

The older man settled back down and adjusted the duvet over him. The report he had been writing, along with his pencil, fell to the ground, but not even the sound of papers hitting a wooden floor was enough to wake up the brat. Levi simply sighed, figuring it was best if he ignored the report. It was something he'd have to dump anyway. The report was inaccurate, starting from the very beginning. All it took was this one little moment to prove it.

He'd have to rewrite it, but that was for another time. The things written down on there were not of his top priority, nor were they the top thing on his mind. What he was thinking about that was occupying the space in his mind was what Eren had said.

' _You shouldn't leave things unresolved with your family…'_  The words were spinning around in his head.

Was this advice from someone who knew minimal things, or advice from someone who knew what it was like to lose their family, but never have the chance of getting it back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to take a moment to tell you guys that I posted something on my tumblr recently, and I would really appreciate it if you guys could read it. You definitely don't have to, and don't feel obligated to if that's the case. XD I'm just asking you, because I had to deal with something on FF that I wanted to bring to attention and what not. Please don't feel like you have to though. No worries, I'm not sick or dying... As far as I know.  
> I better not be. I just started making money at work. owo


	16. Breakdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! Okay, so I wanted to say a big thank you to all of you first off. You know how awesome you are? You're awesome. Seriously. Keep being the kind and caring people you are. The world needs more people like that and you. :3 Honestly, I got a response from someone that made me literally cry. I was sitting there with tissues like, "This is beautiful! Oh God who brought all of these onions into my room?!" Honestly you guys. You mean the world to me. Thank you for being so awesome. :)
> 
> Secondly. My scheduled exams are the twenty seventh, so I'm going to be spending my time studying a lot. ^^' Everyone is like, "Honey, I didn't study and I passed. The tests are so easy and watered down," But I'd rather have peace of mind, you know? ^^' I'll try getting some writing in, but there probably will be slower updates. I'm also planning a trip to visit family, so that might slow it down too. Chapter 17 probably will be out next week, but that's because I was ahead of schedule. XD The Change You Wish to See needs to be updated though, like seriously, and for important reasons too. I'm going to shoot for that one next (This? Is it Sunday where you are yet?) week as well.
> 
> Anyway, that's about it. You guys are all still seriously fucking awesome. Keep up being important and being you! *thumbs up*
> 
> -Misty
> 
> P.S. A big thanks to Lady Mari chan for being an awesome beta reader! This was not a fun chapter to beta (I was tired), so thank you for sticking through it!

**L** **ost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 16: Breakdown**

* * *

"Rain..." Armin mumbled.

Looking up into the dark, grey skies, the blond could see the droplets of water starting to fall from the heavy clouds. It was a soft fall at first, but the longer he looked out the window, the heavier it fell.

People had to run indoors while others pulled out umbrellas. Anyone who had nothing to cover themselves with were in a hurry to get to their cars or duck for cover in the nearest outlet they could find.

Places in this part of the city were shady, and it wasn't the most comfortable of areas to try "hiding" in, but it would be better than being soaked, and then having to walk home dripping wet, because who would give them a ride when they were soaking wet? Thinking it through, though, he realized he was going to have to be one of those poor souls that had to stand in the rain.

"I don't want to stand in the rain..." He whispered to himself while looking away from the window, his eyes drifting to the mirror was across the room, sitting on its side against the wall. The broken glass reflected his image; a pale, thin, scary skeleton that he could hardly recognize anymore. The swelling in his eye had gone down since yesterday, but the blackened skin around it left his eye looking hollow. He wasn't as adept with make up as Mikasa was, and even if he had been, Mikasa's skin was too pale. Her make up would never match his horrifyingly white skin.

He thought that he could simply cover his eyes with his hair, but that wouldn't do either. After all, a good chunk of his hair was now missing behind his ear, and everything in front of it was thinned out and straggly. There was no way he could hide it.

He shifted on the bed again, eyes looking outside to the storm that had come about so fast. He could hear thunder in the distance, and somewhere, far off in the sky, he saw it brighten up with lightening.

He didn't like thunderstorms. He never had and probably never would. He hated the way the Earth rattled under his feet from it. He hated the sudden flashes of light in the sky that could take a dark night and make it look like day. He hated the seemingly never ending rain. It was like the whole world would flood, and all he wanted to do was curl up beside someone and hide.

It was something beyond his or anyone's control, and it was terrifying to say the least.

At times like these, when the rain was so heavy and it sounded like a train was over his head, he would crawl into bed beside his siblings and hide against them. Mikasa would press into his back and place a soft, gentle hand on his shoulder. She would rub back and forth a few times and whisper soft things into his ear to help him calm down, maybe even get to sleep. Eren would always be in front of him though. He'd always be the one to wrap an arm around the two of them and kiss his forehead. He'd promise it was only just a thunderstorm, and that it would end the moment he'd fall asleep. Eren was always so warm, and with both bodies present against him in a cocoon-like barrier, he'd always fall asleep, content and at ease.

And just like he promised, the thunderstorm would always be gone by morning, if not for the residue that resided in the grass and dying leaves.

That wasn't the case now though. It was only the middle of the day, and he was all alone. He had no one to hide behind, no one to crawl into bed with, and no one to promise him that everything would be okay, even though it probably wouldn't be.

"Eren... Mikasa..." His blue eyes traveled down to the pay phone outside. It was the only one within a five mile radius from their little home, and it was to their luck it was right there.

He was just waiting. Waiting for the time he was allowed to go outside so he could wait for a phone call from them. They made times together, times that, if a situation like this ever arose, they could still keep in touch. He just had to wait though. He had to wait until that time came.

"Hurry up, you guys... I'm scared..."

* * *

"I'm not sure about this..." Eld said gingerly, his eyes looking over to his commanding officers, one of which was sitting on top of his desk while the other stood beside him.

"Relax, Eld. We're all standing right here. It's not like they could get into trouble… Well, more trouble." Levi said, quickly correcting himself.

"Yeah, but… Is this okay to do?" The blond man asked while looking over to Eren. The teen was comfortably seated beside Petra's desk, the straw to his soda hanging from his mouth as the two of them talked. It was a very innocent image, but it was an image that would be destroyed in a matter of seconds. "I mean, is it okay for them to see each other?"

"Erwin is convinced that it is. He says that this may start pushing answers out of the two of them." Levi told him.

"Or make them stay quiet. I keep looking at Eren, and I see all of this progress that he's made over such a short week. What if this just makes him revert back to his old self?"

"The old self is the person you're looking at. The only thing you're thinking of is his defensive side. We just have to trust Erwin on this one, like we always do." Levi used his leg to push himself off of Eld's desk. Eld had very good points to make, but Erwin hadn't steered them wrong yet, and he'd just have to believe that it would stay that way. Erwin always saw things no one else could, and it was enough of an affirmative reason to believe that he had the right idea for this experiment.

He just had to trust the man, but that was easier said than done.

He had his doubts too. He didn't want Eren crawling back into his shell and hiding, but they needed answers. They needed to know where Armin was, if he was safe or even alive at this point. They needed to find out who the bastard was who did this to them so that they could serve their time, and so that Eren, Armin and Mikasa could start their lives again with a real and fresh perspective.

If this were to go wrong though? Levi didn't want that, not at all.

"I think both of them have seen that we aren't going to hurt them, let alone put them in harm's way. We're here to protect them, and they're starting to understand that. If we're at that point, this might just get us the rest of the way there." Levi told him before walking over to Petra's desk. This subject needed to be closed for now. Suspicions and doubts had to be put aside, if only for the moment.

Those would only cause anxiety no one needed.

"It's only eight weeks long?" The conversation he overheard started with Eren, who was wide eyed and surprised by something Petra had said.

"Yes, but those eight weeks are by far the most grueling weeks in training I've ever dealt with. We started out with a good few hundred people, and by the time we were done, there were only one hundred and six of us left to graduate from the academy." Petra explained to him. "On top of physical training, there's hand to hand combat, law research, constant studying that'll keep you up into the night, learning how to properly use and aim multiple types of guns, seminars, and tests that keep you occupied. I promised my father I'd keep him updated with a letter every week, but by the end of the week, I could barely lift a finger."

"Sounds hard…" Eren mumbled against his straw.

"It was, but it was all worth it. I'm on a great squad now doing great things for people, so I would gladly do it all over again if need be to stay with this job." Levi was quiet as he stood beside Eren, who didn't even seem to notice him standing by. Petra did, but it was a simple glance up to him before their conversation continued.

"Have you always wanted to be a cop, Petra?" The teen asked.

"Not always, but our ideals change as we grow up. I used to want to be a vet when I was younger, at one point a jockey even." She said with an amused chuckle.

"So what made you want to become a cop then?"

"Because I wanted to make a difference in people's lives," Petra said, her smile widening. "I could never be a doctor, because I hate needles, and I was never interested in war, so the army was out. A cop was something like an in-between for me, and I'm still helping people."

"People like me…?" Eren questioned while lowering his cup to his lap.

"Like you and anyone else who ever needed someone to look up to. I don't know if I could be that for some people, but so long as I'm helping, that's all that matters to me." Petra placed her hand on Eren's knee and rubbed it, trying to quietly reassure him when she saw his expression fall a bit. "Isn't there someone you've ever looked up to, Eren?"

"… No, I don't think so." He uttered somberly.

"What's with all the sudden interest in her profession, brat?" Levi asked and set a hand down on Eren's head. He easily felt the jump in Eren's body; how Eren didn't notice him was beyond him, but he hadn't meant to purposely startle him.

"Hi, Captain Levi…" Eren said softly while looking up at him. "I guess I… Got curious after what you said last night."

"What did you say last night?" Petra asked with a pout.

"Nothing very important." Levi sighed, his eyes adverting from the two of them to look over to Erwin's office. Hanji was looking through the doorway, eyes on him and only him. She was silently questioning him, asking if it was okay. Was it time yet? Were they ready?

Hell no they weren't ready. There was no way they were. This was all going to go one of two ways: Really, really well, or right down the drain.

They were about to find out.

After a careless nod towards her that looked like he was stretching his neck to Eren, she disappeared. He looked down at Eren who offered up an awkward smile between his straw before looking back, waiting, just waiting.

He wouldn't lie and say his heart wasn't pounding. He didn't like the idea of losing either Eren or Mikasa, but it was Erwin's order. It had to be done.

After just a few more moments, Hanji walked out of the room with Erwin, and right behind them, hidden away in a heavy, wool-knitted sweater, was Mikasa. She was heavily guarded by the amount of clothing she was wearing, even down to the baggy sweatpants she wore on her legs and the combat boots on her feet. Levi couldn't tell if this was a look meant to show that she was being lazy, or if she was just cold, but he couldn't blame her for either. It was cold out this time of year, despite the absurd amount of rain they were getting, and who wanted to dull up in nice clothes when it was cold? Levi didn't have the desire to do so either.

"Hey, Eren…" Levi said and tapped his shoulder. When he got his attention, he motioned over to the three, and it was at that point that Mikasa's eyes decided to drift over in their direction as well.

The moment their eyes met, it was an instant reaction.

"Eren…!" His sister cried out and quickly left their sides. She wasn't stopped, not until she was safely in Eren's arms, who had long since left his chair to meet her half way. The grip they had on each other was tight; it even looked painful. Levi could only guess so by the way Mikasa's knuckles turned white against Eren's shoulders as she held on like her life depended on it. She had her head pressed into his shoulder, her forehead resting on the bare skin showing and her face hidden away from anyone else. At this point, however, it wouldn't do much good.

Everyone in the office had been waiting for this, which meant that all eyes were on them, whether surreptitiously or not.

"Mikasa…" Eren seemed shell-shocked, like the idea that they were to ever run into each other again had never crossed his mind. With wide eyes and a grip as strong as hers, he kept looking down at her to make sure she was actually there, that he hadn't lost his mind and gone rogue. That would be too much for him right now.

The girl pulled back, her hands clasping Eren's cheeks immediately to look closely at him, and it did not look like a tender grip if his mushed cheeks were anything to go by. Her eyes had become red, on the verge of tears even; Levi hadn't remembered a time that this girl could shed a tear. Even when she was a child, if she had scrapped a knee, she'd pucker her lips, scrunch her nose, and endure the alcohol when it was poured onto her knee. The idea of seeing her cry now? Levi didn't think he could see it.

"Are you okay, Eren?" And so began the onslaught of questions. "Are you eating? Are you sleeping okay? Has he done anything to you? I swear to god, if that little pipsqueak did anything-!"

"Mikasa, I'm fine!" Eren said over her before she could threaten the man's life any further. No need getting into any more trouble.

"Well, are you?" She pestered on and tugged on his shoulder.

"Yes, Mikasa. I'm eating  _and_  sleeping. Captain Levi is making sure of it. I'm  _fine_." He assured her. She still didn't look convinced, but Eren offered up a weak smile. "I promise."

The older man could say that he was slightly impressed.

This wasn't the same kid as five minutes ago. Around Mikasa, around his sister, he was a totally different person. He didn't even need to talk to show it. The air around him, the way he stood, the way he simply  _stared_  at her was different. He wasn't the same person, and all Levi could do was hope that this one stayed compared to the other. Maybe this one was willing to open up more.

"Your nightmares…?" Mikasa asked quietly, trying to hide the evidence of them from any prodding ears.

"They're not that bad. I've only had one so far this week." Eren admitted, seemingly happy with the results.

"Only one…?" Mikasa questioned skeptically. "That's good…"

"Mikasa, would you like to sit down?" Petra asked the girl while standing from her chair. Levi's niece seemed taken aback by the offer, obviously not to keen on having help from someone else. Eren, however, wasn't as defensive. He pulled on her hand and forced her over to the chair. With his permission though, she took it reluctantly. "You guys want anything to eat? Maybe a drink?" She continued.

"I'm okay," Eren assured her and looked to Mikasa.

"… Water please." She told the officer. Petra nodded her head with a smile, but before leaving, she gave a pointed look to Levi. Levi simply nodded her way.

"So how are you, Mikasa?" Eren asked his sister. "Are  _you_  eating and sleeping?"

"Eating just fine, but… I can't sleep well without you or Armin by my side." She admitted with a frown.

"I know what you mean…"

"Have you talked to Armin at all?" Mikasa asked with the quickest glance over to Levi.

"Only once, but he said he was okay for the most part…"

"For the most part?"

"… He sounded a little off." Eren's eyes fell, his expression falling.

So he could hear it too? He could hear how broken Armin's voice was? Levi had no idea how Armin sounded like before up until this point, but he already sounded broken. If there was a difference in their previous call, he was getting worse.

They were running out of time, weren't they?

"Have you talked to him…?" Eren asked, his own voice falling quiet. Levi's rolled his neck, as if acting like he wasn't hearing what was going on. They must have been aware that he was listening though. They must have thought that it was even a possibility.

Were they  _hoping_  to get caught?

"You know he doesn't like thunderstorms…" Mikasa mumbled. Levi felt like that was a secret answer, as if that it was a possibility. Maybe she had been in contact with Armin as well, but he couldn't be sure. It was Hanji's responsibility to take care of her…

Unfortunately.

"Levi," Erwin called out to the man standing beside him. Levi pushed himself away from Petra's desk and patted Eren's head one last time before walking to the man. However, his ears were still lingering on their conversation that took a fun little turn.

"What the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"What he just did? You're okay with him touching you like that?"

"H-He's not hurting me…"

Levi fought back a smirk.

"Yeah, Erwin…?" Levi questioned the taller man once he got by him and Hanji.

"How is it going over there…?" He asked under his breath.

"Better than what I was afraid of." Levi responded while crossing his arms over his chest.

"Are they talking about anything important?" Hanji continued to ask. Levi looked back at the two; some inside joke or something funny must have been passed between the two, because smiles were on both of their faces.

"I think Mikasa has been in contact with Armin." He told them.

"When…? I haven't let her out of my sight." Hanji said.

"I don't know. When Eren asked if she had talked to him, her only response was,  _'You know he doesn't like thunderstorms…'_  I feel like she's saying that she has, maybe even today too."

"She must have done it when you weren't looking…" Erwin assumed. "We'll need to check your phone."

"You can have it. I can't possibly think of when she used it."

"Do you think she erased everything like Eren did with my phone…?"

"Let's hope not. I at least want to know where Armin is answering the calls from. I don't know if he's got some sort of disposable phone or not, but he's using something that has a tracker to it. Most modern phones have them."

"Unless you've got a phone like Gunther's," Hanji openly joked. "His is from the days Cleopatra ruled."

"Which one?" Erwin asked.

"The first one."

"Who the fuck is that?" Levi suddenly asked, his eyes trained on something else. The two followed his harsh stare back to the two teens, finding that they were no longer alone.

It wasn't Petra with the water for Mikasa, but in her place was another woman. She was a very petite woman with blond, almost white hair combed from her face, with the exception of her bangs. Her attire was much like that of someone heading to a very important meeting dinner, a black suit made for a woman, the skirt included. Behind her stood two other people, both men of taller stature. Each were easily Erwin's height, if not a little shorter, and both easily showed their strength by the way their shoulders sat and how their legs carried them.

The woman was talking to the two of them, a smile on her face as she spoke something they couldn't hear from their end, but Eren looked positively horrified.

Something wasn't right.

"No idea…" Hanji mumbled. Levi scoffed before leaving her. He'd just find out himself.

"Excuse me," He called out to them. The woman looked over in his direction, her smile dimming slightly. It was only now that he saw the glasses framing her eyes on the bridge of her nose. Eren jumped in his chair, possibly too lost in thought to notice Levi making his way over to them, but when he saw the officer approaching them, he stood up from his seat and all but hid behind the man. Levi felt Eren grab at his sweater from behind himself, the tug of his hands pulling the two as physically close together as possible.

This wasn't like Eren at all though. Eren didn't just jump into a certain action without some form of pride hiding his true intentions. Doing this meant that he couldn't even think of that right now, and how could he not? That wasn't like Eren at all.

Something really wasn't right.

"Can I help you?" He asked the woman. Mikasa stood up too, but even though she didn't hide behind Levi like Eren did, she stood close by to hold one of her brother's hands.

"Yes, I'm sorry for the sudden intrusion. My name is Rico Brzenska. I work over in our adolescent unit at Maria Psychiatric Hospital." The woman introduced herself and held out her hand.

Levi felt an irregularity form in his heartbeat.

How did they find out?

"It's nice to meet you, Miss Brzenska. I'm Captain Levi Ackerman." Levi wasn't going to let his worries show. If this got out of hand, it would all fall apart quickly. He had to remain calm, if only for Eren and Mikasa.

"Please, you can call me Rico." The woman said and tucked her hair behind her ear after a quick and firm handshake from the man.

"Please don't let them take me…" Eren whispered beside Levi's ear, his voice shaking, pleading with hi. Levi reached back to tap at Eren's leg, trying to silently tell him not to worry. Eren wasn't going anywhere today, even if it meant Levi would lose his job for it.

No one was taking his kids away from him.

"What can I help you with today, Rico?" Levi asked, trying to assure himself that this wasn't what it seemed. It had only been a day or so. The report couldn't have gotten through Nanaba's boss that fast, could it? No, that just didn't seem right. It had to be something different.

"Well Captain Ackerman, I was made aware of their current situation through a recent report we received at our hospital." Rico began and motioned to the two teens standing behind him. "We found that we'd just like to follow up on that report. I feel that it might be in their best interest to receive some counselling at our hospital in order to overcome the ordeals they've been dealing with."

And down went his hope.

This sounded professional, and by the untrained ear, it was just an offer for therapy, but there was a hidden meaning. You didn't just get counselling at Maria's. The only way you got it, especially in the adolescent ward, was if you were admitted.

That was what she was talking about. There was no real offer here, nothing that could provide for them.

"You mean you want to admit them to your crazy bin?" Levi asked. He felt the grip on his shirt falter for a moment, but it was only for a moment. Eren's grip tightened significantly to the point where the hem of his collar was even starting to pull, but Levi allowed it.

He couldn't simply turn around at this point and say that everything was going to be okay. He couldn't say that Eren wasn't going anywhere, not with this woman around. He had to get her to leave.

Rico cleared her throat, her eyes narrowing at the older man in front of her.

"We don't really appreciate the term  _'crazy bin,'_  Captain Ackerman." Rico told him in a lower tone.

"Sorry, I'm not as well versed in words as you are." Levi told her. "However, the kids are receiving counselling from our psychologist here. You may know her as Doctor Hanji Zoe. She's been taking care of their mental well-beings."

"I do appreciate that, and I am aware of Doctor Zoe. She's well known in our industry, but I'm afraid to say that she may not be enough if these kids are inflicting themselves with injuries." To prove her point, Rico motioned to the bandaging around Eren's thumb. He tugged it back quickly to hide it, but the damage had been done already.

"I thought you said you burned yourself cooking…?" He heard Mikasa ask quietly from behind him. He must have lied to keep her from worrying, but what good would that do?

"They aren't interested." Levi simply stated.

He wasn't letting them go.

"Captain, our facility can take great care of them. They'll have twenty four- seven intensive care and access to the best counselors the state has provi-"

"I said they aren't interested." Levi spoke up again.

"It's not about if they're interested." Rico's voice dropped, her tone taking a turn for serious. "It's about their safety, and I am obligated to take them in, whether you want them to go or not."

Levi suddenly felt a jerk from behind him. The grip on his sweater was gone, as well as Eren's presence as he backed away. He turned around in time to see Eren taking a few steps back, but it wasn't from what was in front of him. At some point, though Levi didn't know when, one of the men had come up from behind them and simply touched Eren's shoulder. How he did it without any of them knowing, especially Levi, was beyond his comprehension.

"Don't touch me…" Eren warned as he backed away into Oulou's desk.

"It's alright, son. I just wanted to look at your hand and make sure it was okay." The man assured him, but Eren was no fool.

"Don't touch me," He warned again, but he had nowhere to go.

"It's alright. You don't need to be scared."

"He said don't touch him." Mikasa growled at the man and stepped in front of Eren.

This was getting out of hand.

"Kids, we don't want to hurt you. We just want to help." Rico said as the other man advanced towards them.

How was this helping them? The men were advancing on them like wolves to a pack of cattle. It wasn't fair, and they could obviously see it.

"You touch him and I'll fucking kill you." Mikasa threatened them with narrow eyes glaring daggers and a hiss thrown in their direction.

That didn't help the situation at all.

There was a shared glance between the two men who worked for Rico. A quiet conversation was had and a result was decided. They were going to have none of that, and it was easily agreed on what would happen next.

There was no more hesitation in their steps. There was no more holding out of their hands to show that they would be friendly and gentle. It was just quick, guided steps towards them before the two teens were pulled apart.

Mikasa was pulled away first. The man before who had approached Eren grabbed at her arm and yanked.  _Hard_. He pulled her back and against his chest where he then confined her in a tight grip. She let out a horrible screech and flailed her legs, but for all of Mikasa's strength, it was nothing that could match this man's. He must have done this to plenty of people, and she was just like anyone else.

"M-Mikasa!" Eren took a step forward, but he was quickly met with the same fate. His reaction, however, was not as slack as hers was. Even Levi himself knew that the idea of being taken away by anyone was outright terrifying to Eren. He couldn't stand the idea, so when he fought back against the man holding him, it didn't come as much of a surprise. "Let me go!  _Let me go!_ "

"Let them go!" Levi ordered the woman standing by him, but she didn't follow his command.

"If you can't handle them, then sedate them." Rico ordered her men.

"Don't you dare!" Levi said and forced her attention on him by grabbing at her shoulder. "What grounds do you have to do that?"

"We need to take them in." She simply responded.

"They aren't-!"

"No…!" Eren cried over his argument.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Mikasa yelled out the man. Personal concern was not a thing for her, her worry instead directed to her brother who was face down on the floor. Levi looked over to the two of them just as a needle began disappearing inside Eren's arm. The needle was the least of his concerns though.

Eren looked horrified. Tears had long since drenched his face, even wetting the tips of his bangs as they pooled to the floor. His eyes were wide, green irises missing to compensate the size of his pupils that had long since dilated. Levi couldn't even tell if that was from his fear or from the drugs anymore, but when he looked up, his eyes were begging the older man for help. As the drugs kicked in, however, his eyes began to fog over with haze.

"Help…" The word was released on a lax breath.

"Let him go!" Levi demanded of the man.

"Levi," Levi turned towards the sound of his name, eyes glaring daggers. He felt the need to bite off anyone's head who tried to stop him, but why did it still come as a surprise that it was Erwin standing behind them?

"What…?" Levi growled. The man didn't answer him. Instead, his attention turned to Rico, his arm lifting and presenting a few folded pieces of paper to her. She narrowed her eyes at him before taking it with care, like she wasn't sure what would be inside. "What is that, Erwin?" Levi asked him.

There was no response, which he detested. Rico opened up the little packet, her eyes beginning to scan over the paper with interest. She was quiet for a moment, letting Mikasa's screams take over most of the sound in the room. Anyone else in the office had long since scattered and shut up the moment the tension began.

"… Stop!" Rico suddenly turned to her men and told them. The two of them looked up at her, obviously confused. "Get off of them!" She instructed them.

Of course her rule was the law for them. Levi could have scoffed at how fast they leapt off of the teens, like rats caught by light. Once free, Mikasa quickly darted over to Eren. She had been lucky to not yet be drugged, but Eren hadn't been as lucky. Whatever drug they had used knocked his ass to the ground fast, though he was still able to move. It wasn't enough strength to push himself up onto his hand and knees, but enough to simple reach out a hand when Mikasa got to his side.

"What the hell is this?" Rico asked Erwin once the commotion had died down. She lifted the papers up in presentation to him, and for a moment Levi thought that she was going to hit him with them, but that didn't happen.

"A court order," Erwin told her. Levi's ears perked up to the sound of that. "Eren and Mikasa, even Armin are witnesses to our investigation, and I can't risk three valuable sources of information being locked up."

"Erwin…" Levi began, but Erwin was already going on before he could continue.

"Thank you for your time, but your services are no longer needed." Erwin assured her before looking over to Levi. "Captain, take Eren and Mikasa out of the room. Take care of them." The blond man ordered him.

Levi didn't need to be told twice.

Ignoring the woman and her henchmen, Levi came to the two teen's sides in an instant. Mikasa was practically growling at this point, fuming even. She looked like a rabid dog reading to bit off the hand of anyone who tried to take her food from her, and that food was Eren. Mikasa had been hovering over the boy this whole time, prepared to lash out at the men if they dared try and touch him again. However, she leaned back, giving Levi the opportunity to see the boy for himself. She wasn't too keen on letting anyone near the brunette, but from some reason, it was at this moment that she seemed to trust the man.

"Are you okay…?" He asked her quietly.

"Fine," She responded bitterly in a hoarse tone.

"Let me see him..." Levi asked of her.

Eren looked like a mess. There was no other way to describe the boy writhing on the floor, trying to fight the drugs now running through his system. Each movement he made was lazy, broken, and withering away. His arms tried uselessly to push himself up off of the floor, but it was no use. After a fruitless attempt, all his arms could do were to flop back down on the floor and twitch with agony. His legs were in much of the same situation, but his head was the only thing that could lull up and down without much problem.

However, the action somehow reminded Levi of a child. When a child is young, they can't hold their heads up on their own. They lacked the muscles to do it, and that kind of reminded him of this.

It wasn't the fact that he thought of Eren as a child. No, that wasn't it. It was that he thought of him as weak, like a doll even. He couldn't handle what was around him on his own, and with that came a firmer goal in mind.

He wasn't letting this kid go.

"You're just going to let those children die?" Levi heard Rico ask, though it was a quiet hiss. It was meant to be hidden away from them, but how stupid did she think he was? Did she really not think he wasn't listening in on this?

"Captain Levi already told you that they're receiving therapy. You don't need to concern yourselves with them."

Levi didn't need to hear anymore.

Quickly, but carefully, Levi rolled Eren onto his back. He tucked his legs in and pulled them up from under his knees while his free arm wrapped around his back. Like this, he was able to carry him in a bridal like fashion to get him out of the room. The only room he felt would be the most quiet, to his funny perspective, was the interrogation room.

It wasn't by any means comfortable, and there was nowhere he could place Eren or even sit himself unless he wanted a hard, metal chair, but it was quiet. It was away from the hassle still buzzing around in the office, and he was sure Rico was giving Erwin a piece of her mind (She seemed to be the type of woman who would do that). It was safe and secure, and that was all he needed right now.

"What did they put in him?" Mikasa asked when they were finally alone. Levi slowly kneeled down to the floor, letting Eren fully curl against his chest. He was still trying to put up a struggle, his hand limp against his chest, though that didn't stop him from trying to throw a hit. All it ended in, however, was the lightest of taps that probably wasn't helping the fracture to his thumb.

"Probably a heavy dose of Haloperiodol." Levi told her while brushing Eren's bangs from his face. "Maybe you've heard of it as haldal?"

"W-What is that? What's it doing to him?" Maybe not.

"It's an antipsychotic medication. It's usually used in light doses for people with schizophrenia or severe anxiety. Its side effects will relax the muscles, and I'm sure they laced it with something to keep Eren from getting up and fighting." Another tap was pressed into his chest, followed by a gurgling sound, but Eren had no strength to fight. Even gripping the collar of his shirt was difficult.

"Will he be okay?" Mikasa kneeled down beside them, her eyes trying to decide whether to look at her uncle or her brother. "I mean, it'll wear off, right?"

"Of course it will. Its effects will only last a few hours, though it'll take a few days to get out of his body." Levi looked at his niece, taking in the genuinely worried expression she wore. "They didn't get you?"

"No…" She mumbled.

"L-Lev-vi…" Eren croaked, his voice raspy from the previous screaming and the effects of the drugs.

"Shh, you're okay." Levi told him and pulled Eren close. He helped his head onto his shoulder where Eren's head sat limply. There was nothing he could do to put up a fight, but he didn't seem to want one anymore. Maybe he was just having a hard time catching up to the situation. "It's over now."

"I don't wanna… Don't wanna…" Eren kept mumbling, his voice meek. He couldn't even muster up the strength to form a full sentence without trying to cling to reality.

"It's okay, Eren. Just rest." Levi told him, but that didn't even seem to matter to the hazy brunette.

"Don't wanna go… Wanna… W-Wanna stay…" Levi looked down at the teen, catching a glimpse of those green eyes on him, though he was sure Eren wasn't actually focusing on him.

"What was that…?"

"Wanna stay… With  _yo_ -you…" Tears pooled together at the corners of his big eyes again, slowly dipping down the sides of his temples and into his hair. "I don't wanna… Go. I wanna stay with y-you…"

Levi could vaguely feel Eren's hand searching for his own, trying to find something,  _anything_  to grab on to. Even though he knew that, however, he couldn't possibly respond correctly.

He was too busy letting the words float around in his head.


	17. Broken Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting to that point where you start hating me.
> 
> Oh look at that? I've been writing all week for Eremin week (I am so late and behind) and studying so my mind is muddled with microbiology, anatomy, electricity (Didn't think that had to deal with hair, did you?) And then perverted yaoi thoughts. Not to mention I've got two of the most absolute polar opposite songs in my head right now. Oh yeah, and one major test is next week. Weeeeee.
> 
> I hope you're all having a stress free time. ^^' Summer is coming, right? You know what that means, right? No more weekend only updates, yay~~~!
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the night (It's ten thirty here *sniffles): Shingeki No Kyojin Soundtrack: So Ist Es Immer

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 17: Broken Promise**

* * *

"You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

It didn't take long to connect the puzzle pieces. One by one they fit together, and one by one, a picture was formed. It wasn't hard to understand once he could see the mental image, the pictorial in his mind burning him with a newfound anger. He hadn't felt this angry towards his superior in such a long time. How long has it truly been since he felt hatred towards Erwin? Real, unrelenting hatred? It must have been a good five to six years by now.

"You set all of that up, didn't you?" Levi demanded of the man sitting at his desk. The tension in the air was thick, weighing down the shoulders of the three cops. Hanji was quiet though, letting herself be consumed into shadows to be ignored in lieu of the conversation. "That whole thing: The hospital knowing about him, sending someone out to come get Eren, and even the timing with Eren and Mikasa seeing each other. It was all planned, wasn't it?"

"They need to know what they're dealing with, Levi." Erwin simply responded, too calm for his own good. Levi felt his finger nails dig into his own palms as his hands clenched into fists. "They may not take the situation lightly, but they don't take it seriously either. They need to know what could happen if they don't start cooperating and helping us-"

Erwin was immediately interrupted by the slam of Levi's hands against his desk.

"Don't mess with my kids, Erwin!" He shouted over him.

The tension cracked, splintered, and shattered apart then. Levi left Erwin's office in a huff, the door slamming wide open behind him. Erwin and Hanji could hear the room outside the office suddenly dull in silence, but it was only a few moments before hushed whispers of rumors grew to the chatter of work again.

Erwin stole a glance over to Hanji, looking at the woman who seemed downright dumbfounded from Levi's actions. She, as well as Erwin, hadn't seen the older man act out like that for so long.

"'Don't mess with  _my kids,_ ' he says..." Erwin said against his hands with a sigh of desperation.

"… Technically, Mikasa is his, you know…" Hanji told him quietly, trying to condone what Levi had just spoken of. "It was a mistake. He just said it to avoid having to use both of their names… He didn't mean  _anything_  by it…"

* * *

The first time Eren woke up, he felt a hand against him. It was warm, soft, and comforting as nails grazed against his scalp, brushing his hair back over and over. It was just a subtle gesture, but enough to put him at ease for the brief minute he was awake.

The second time he woke up, his eyes were barely able to lift themselves. He was met with a set of eyes in front of him, dark, grey, and concerned. Concerned for him or something else though?

The third time he woke up, the numbness in his limbs began to fade. He could feel a weight beside him, making the couch he was laying on dip with added pressure. He could hear the tinniest sounds, like socks rustling against the wood floor or a cup being set down. The feeling of cold went up his back, but a warmth was readjusted over him to provide a much needed comfort.

The fourth and last time he woke up, he was truly awake. His eyes were dreary and blurry with sleep, his body felt heavy, and everything ached. His throat felt raw, like he'd spent the better part of an hour scrapping at it with a cheese grater. His mind was full, overflowing with too many thoughts that pertained to nothing important, yet at the same time, it felt so empty.

He couldn't remember what happened. When he thought about it, anything leading up to before he fell asleep made no sense to him. It all felt like a dream, and he was just waiting to wake up again. He was awake though. That much he knew.

Dreams could feel real, but there was a sense of reality they often lacked that Eren learned to differentiate. He had to if it meant getting a decent night of sleep.

"Eren...?" A quiet voice called out to him in a ginger tone. Eren couldn't even think of lifting his head let alone responding, but whatever he had done to show he was awake worked. Within seconds, Levi appeared within his vision, a cup of something warm steaming in one hand, and a bowl of something that smelled really good in the other. He set them down on the coffee table beside them and sat against the edge of the coffee table, careful not to put too much weight on the glass. "You awake...?"

"Mhm..." Even responding with a hum made his throat ache. Tears pooled at the edges of his vision at the sheer pain, his mind and body reprimanding him for such a hasty action.

"I brought some hot lemonade. It'll help sooth your throat." Levi said and motioned to the cup before sitting on the coffee table. "Might put you back to sleep though."

"Mh..." Eren tried to respond, but it didn't work. All he could do was nod his head and hope the older man understood, which he did. Levi lifted the mug and brought it close, but it was only now that Eren saw the straw bent at the edge. Levi had taken the liberty of adding it, knowing Eren wasn't in his right mind and probably wouldn't be for some time, and the brunette felt eternally grateful at that moment.

The heat of the drink was indeed soothing; the rough texture and scratchiness he felt before was dulled with a numbness he easily accepted, though there was some sting. The lemon helped provide a small aroma that awakened his senses, but if Levi was telling the truth, he wouldn't be awake for long. He tasted an encompassing honey flavor that he couldn't ignore, figuring it had been mixed in at some point. The honey was something that easily relaxed his frayed nerves though, and for a moment, he couldn't remember the last time he felt so relaxed.

"How's that...?" Levi asked after setting the cup down.

"... B-Better," Eren responded hoarsely, now that he could. He was sure it still hurt, but the honey and lemon helped sooth the ache.

"That's good. I thought you screamed your throat raw at first." Levi said and brought the bowl into his lap.

"Why...?" Eren couldn't help but ask.

"Eat some of this first. I want you to have something in your stomach." Levi told him and held up a spoon. Eren pushed himself up onto his elbows to lean against the arm of the couch, just to get a better angle.

"What is it?"

"It's the chicken soup Petra's father made. We never got the chance to eat it." Levi responded and held out the spoon for him, holding his hand under it so nothing would drip on him. Eren opened his mouth and gratefully accepted the food, his stomach lurching in pain at the sudden reminder that he was very hungry. With Levi feeding him like this, there were no chances of him stuffing himself to the point of puking it all up again, and all he could hope for was that it would stay down. "How is it?"

"Really good..." Eren let out after a heavy breath.

It was just chicken soup. There was nothing special about it, no added ingredients or secret flavors that he couldn't depict, but it was still so good. He didn't think chicken soup could ever taste this good.

"The next time we see Petra, you should thank her for this." Levi said while holding up another spoonful of soup that was greatly accepted. "It'll make her smile."

"I will," Eren promised after swallowing. His eyes lifted to meet the officers as Levi finally set the bowl down beside him and the cup. The man reached over and rubbed at his arm, a motion Eren found very odd until he felt a sudden sting along his skin.

"Sorry," Levi apologized.

"What is that?"

"You knocked your elbow off of the desk and scrapped your skin. I didn't cover it to let it air dry, but I was just thinking that I should before you fall asleep. I don't want you irritating it." The man explained.

"From what...?"

"You don't remember?" Levi asked him, and he was answered with a shake of the head. "... Eren, when something bad happens, how much do you focus on it?" Levi couldn't help but ask. He was beginning to see a reoccurring pattern here.

"I don't."

"You don't?"

"Mikasa says that I black out really badly when stuff goes on. I don't remember whatever happens when something goes wrong, even though she says I react to everything around me." Eren answered and fell back onto his side. "There's... A whole week of my life I don't even remember. I guess I saw something I shouldn't have and... Mikasa and Armin said I was on autopilot for a week."

"That's not a good thing, Eren." Levi told him.

"I know. It's not like I do it intentionally. It just happens. Sometimes I remember things, and others..."

"Eren, that's something we need to work on. You can't keep blacking out like that, or you're going to miss things."

"It only happens with bad things, so I can't see how that's a problem." Eren grumbled into his hand, a very teenage thing to do. He didn't want to admit to him that he was right.

"Say you lose a job, or a pet dies. Those are bad things. Your car breaks down, you have an overdue bill; I can't say you'll do it for tiny things like that, but it'll become a habit of yours to lose yourself, even if you don't mean it."

"Alright, I get it." Eren continued to pout. Levi sighed before switching his seat for the edge of the couch. The dip in the fabric was a very familiar sensation to the teen, and so the hand that suddenly rested on his forehead and brushed his bangs out of his face. He looked up at the older man expectantly, waiting for something more, but by the look on his face, something more wasn't going to happen.

"Eren, try to remember what happened." Levi said, his fingernails lightly scratching at his scalp. How was Eren supposed to do that when Levi was putting him to sleep?

"Uhm... We had breakfast... Is it still the same day?" The teen asked. Levi nodded his head in answer, quietly waiting for him to continue. "We went to the station and... I saw Mikasa?"

"She was there."

"Is Mikasa okay?" Eren asked, trying to sit up more, but he couldn't get far. "Where is she?"

"Mikasa is fine. Hanji took her back to her place to help her relax. It wasn't about her."

"So what was it about then?" The brunette asked, a thin line of a frown forming on his lips.

"We let you and Mikasa see each other for a bit. We figured it was good for you, but...  _Someone_  tipped off people who work at the hospital, and people were sent over to the station to pick you up."

"Who did that?" Eren asked, his voice and expression portraying his deep hurt.

"I don't know... Anyway, they tried taking you away. You fought so much though that they had to drug you to keep you still. I wouldn't doubt that's why you can't remember much. You've been sleeping off a heavy dose of drugs all day."

"They didn't... I-I'm still here." He mentioned weakly.

"Erwin got a court order for you, Mikasa, and even Armin. So long as you're victims and witnesses to our case, you can't be taken away." Levi told him and rubbed his shoulder. "You're staying right here with me."

"And when it's all over?" Eren asked, his voice cracking. Levi tilted his head to the side, taking note of the expression slowly forming on his face. He looked as if he were getting angry, but why? "Where do I go then?"

Why did he feel like there was another question being asked at that moment? Sure, he was asking where he went, but did he really mean it to sound like he was talking about the hospital? If and when it was all said and done, when the case was over, their pimp was in jail, and they were safe and free, where would they go then? They had no distant relatives, as far as Levi was aware, and they were eighteen. They were legal adults with no means of support and three years of education missing from their lives. There were programs set up for people in their situations, sure, but that didn't mean anything to them if they were alone. They'd go from having the support of Levi, Hanji, Erwin, and everyone at the station to having no one but themselves again.

Was Eren asking this, because he didn't want to fall back into that pattern?

"I guess we worry about that when the time comes. You'll definitely get put into counseling, that's for sure. I'm sure Erwin can work with it though. He'll keep you out of there." Levi assured him and rubbed at his shoulder.

Eren flinched, his eyes falling to the ground in a sudden daze. He sat up from under Levi's hand suddenly, though a bit wobbly. The sudden jerk of his body was enough to have him cover his mouth with the urge to vomit, but to his luck, it wasn't coming up. It felt like a dry heave, if anything along the lines, so he could handle it. He couldn't handle the world spinning around him though, and that was enough for him to want to lay back down on the couch.

"Hey, are you okay?" Levi asked and touched his arm. "Do you need a trash can or-"

"Don't touch me!" Eren suddenly barked while pushing Levi's hand away. Levi all but jumped back at the shout, his eyes widening and hand pulled back to his self as if he had touched fire. Eren slapping his hand hadn't hurt one bit, but the idea that it had happened was more impacting to him than he thought it would be.

"Eren-!" He began, but Eren wasn't going to let him continue.

"No! Leave me alone!" Eren forced himself up, but the world seemed to suddenly move out from under his feet. He fell to his knees beside the arm of the couch, using it as a rest to regain his composure, but it didn't help. Levi reached a hand out to help him, but at the sudden wave of Eren's arm again, he pulled his hand back to his side, just barely missing what could have been an easy hit.

"Eren, what's wrong?" Levi asked, but he knew better than to touch him now. Whatever was upsetting him wouldn't be made better if Levi ignored his requests. "What's happening? Tell me what's going through your head."

"You said you wouldn't let anyone take me away! You promised!" Eren's voice broke before he rose, but it was enough of a giveaway to prove that he was crying.

"And no one did! You're still here, aren't you?" The older man asked as Eren turned to face him.

"That doesn't change the fact that they tried!" He cried out. "You said they wouldn't come after me! You promised! I  _believed_  you! I  _trusted_  you and you broke your promise!"

"No one took you away! I promised you'd stay here and I kept it!" Levi took a step forward, not out of spite, but to ground himself better. It was taken the wrong way by Eren though. Seeing it had him step away, his arms pressing into his chest in a defensive manner.

"Leave me alone!" Eren yelled at him before running out of the room. Levi waited for the inevitable slam of his bedroom door to reverberate through the apartment before he collapsed on the couch with a scoff. His hands tossed up in defeat, his head suddenly aching with the oncoming of a headache that hadn't been there before Eren started yelling.

What was his problem anyway? Why did he suddenly get so defensive over something that hadn't happened? Why was he so upset when he was still here?

Well, that wasn't hard to guess the answer for. Levi had to remember to think in his mind, to put himself in his shoes and think of how he felt. He may have been safe, but that didn't mean he felt it. He felt betrayed, he felt scared, and he felt misunderstood. Even Levi knew that, but how could he get that through Eren's head?

He wasn't going to accept anyone's words of advice right now, whether they were good  _or_  bad. He wasn't going to listen to anyone, not until he could fully calm down, figure out what all of this meant, and take a moment to breathe.

That was all it would take, and that was all Levi was going to have to wait for.


	18. Gone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhh~ You are going to be so mad~ But hey! Summer break is coming! Updates during the week again! Yay~! Maybe even two updates during the week! Yay~! But not this week.
> 
> By the way. Did you know this is chapter eighteen? When did we get to chapter eighteen? Weren't we on four a few days ago?
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day (I'm running out of these!): One Way
> 
> By: Fujita Maiko
> 
> P.S. Thank you to Lady Mari chan for her beta reading! She keeps me grounded, and makes this look like a decent fanfiction. X'D

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 18: Gone**

* * *

Levi paused outside of Eren's bedroom door, bowl of ramen in hand (because the chicken soup was no longer salvageable) as he waited. He couldn't hear anything from within the room; no crying or sobbing sounds, not even the rustling of sheets if Eren were to move. There was just nothing coming out of the room, and Levi wondered if he should even bother trying to go in.

Maybe Eren was sleeping? He was probably sleeping off the drugs in his system, so should he really have bothered trying to go into his room to talk? It was already past five, and the sun had long since set in the sky.

No, he should try to fix this. He couldn't let Eren hide in his room forever, and if Eren was asleep, then he'd let him rest, but for now he had to make things right.

"Eren…?" He called out softly and knocked on the door. He stepped close and listened, waiting for something, though he wasn't sure what. He was expecting the sounds of fabric rustling, or foots steps, maybe even for Eren to blatantly say "go away," but there was a long and quiet pause that followed his knock. He wasn't entirely sure if it was heard at all or ignored, but he was answered before he got the chance to knock again.

"Come in…" Came a response from in the room, quiet and feeble. Levi took the invitation gingerly and opened the door, spotting Eren on his bed, hidden away in a heavy sweater given to him from Petra. He looked like a mess with his hair in his face, his cheeks, nose, and eyes red and swollen from crying so much. It didn't help him that his hood was pulled up over his head, and the dim lighting in the room darkened his features prominently. His knees were pulled up to his chest and tucked in under his chin, but Levi could vaguely see the red mark across the brunette's forehead, a telltale sign that he had been resting his forehead there for a promisingly long time.

"Hey…" Levi said quietly and motioned to the bowl in his hand. "I made you some dinner. You didn't finish the soup, so I made this instead."

Eren didn't respond, and Levi wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not. Instead of worrying about it though, he walked further into the room and placed the bowl down on the bedside table. He tucked his hands into his pockets and looked down at Eren, who was looking up at him with a foggy and confused look on his face. He couldn't understand what the look meant though, and for what.

"… Can I sit down?" The older man asked. There was a small tilt of Eren's head; a nod no less. Levi took that for all it was worth and sat down on the edge of the bed, eyes looking to the brunette to try and read him, but it wasn't easy. Eren's face was blank, apathetic, and cold. He could see the fear deep within those green eyes. He could see the horror, the pain, and even the uncertainty. Eren was still just a kid, and though he didn't act like one at times, that was hard to remember from time to time.

He was still a kid, therefor he still needed to vent like a kid, and that was all Levi could allow him to do.

"Can I talk to you for a bit…?" Levi asked him, allowing Eren the decision. He may have still been mad, so Levi didn't want to overstep the boundaries. They'd made great progress, and he didn't want to take five steps back because of what happened.

"… Sure…" Eren mumbled and leaned his head forward so his chin could rest on his knees.

"Eren, I really am sorry. Had I known they were going to the precinct, I would have never taken you there. I told you I wouldn't let anyone take you and I meant it, but you definitely didn't deserve to be scared like that." Levi began, watching Eren's expression for any visible changes. "I know you're upset with me, and I know how you feel, but I-"

"You don't know." Eren quickly interrupted him.

"Yeah I do," Levi argued. "I know you feel betrayed. You feel like I broke my promise, even when you're still here. You saw me standing around doing nothing, simply watching as these guys pushed you down, and I shouldn't have done it." As Levi spoke, he saw those green eyes redden with the oncoming of tears. Eren was holding back, but they were coming. It was just a matter of time before the dam broke.

"You were scared, and they were hurting you. You were terrified that they'd take you away, and then you wouldn't be able to see Mikasa again. You'd never know if Armin was safe. I  _know_ , Eren, but I won't make that mistake again. I'm not going to let anyone take you away."

Just like that, the little cracks in that dam splintered and let the tears flow free. Eren bit at his bottom lip, trying to hold onto whatever last restraints he had, but he was falling apart too fast. He had no control anymore, and he was fighting to keep it while at the same time wanting to give it up.

"C-Captain…" Eren sobbed. Levi pulled a hand from his pocket and lifted an arm, a small invitation, though he didn't expect it to be taken. Eren all but jumped from his place on the bed to hurl himself into the man's embrace, arms encircling around him until he almost fell off of the bed. At that point, Eren found it easiest to simply sit within the man's lap, legs bracketing his hips and arms around the man, being held firmly in place.

Levi wasn't going to reprimand this either. It was a very child-like thing to do, and he would allow it. If it comforted Eren, then so be it. Society didn't dictate how a person should calm down. Whatever helped them, helped them, and what Eren was doing was hurting no one. Eren was more than welcome to sit in his lap and cry his frustrations out so long as the outcome would end with him being happy.

That's all he wanted for him.

"You felt betrayed, lied to, and hurt. I know how you feel right now, but no one is going to take you away…"

"I-I was so scared…" Eren sobbed into his sweater, tears drenching the better part of Levi's neck.

"I know, I know…" Levi whispered and rubbed at the back of his head.

"I wanna stay with you, Levi…" He openly admitted, not afraid to face ridicule for it. It was obvious to him now that Levi wouldn't do that to him.

"And you're going to. I'm not letting you go that easy." Levi sat back, letting Eren's head droop forward while eyes looked up to meet his. "I'm like a moth to an open flame, Eren. You aren't getting rid of me until I'm dead." The man joked with a small smirk tugging at the edges of his lips, and it was enough to have a small smile pulling on Eren's lips as well.

"Don't say that. It isn't funny…"

"Well it's true…"

"I don't want you dead though…" Eren dropped his head down onto Levi's shoulder, hands clenching into his sweater for a better grip on reality as fresh tears sprung to his eyes. "I-I don't want you to go…"

"I'm not going anywhere, Eren." Levi assured him and pulled the rest of his body close for a firmer embrace. The teen's shoulders slumped forward, as if he could relax now that this was out of the way, but he still sniffled and sobbed, eyes watering like a dam really had burst.

"I-I'm sorry…" He whispered against Levi's neck, one arm tightening around him while the other sat at his waist.

"You don't need to apologize, Eren." Levi told him while running his fingers through brunette hair.

"I'm sorry…" He apologized again.

"Eren-" Levi began, ready to reprimand him for the over excessive apologies, but he was stopped when something pressed into his stomach. He looked down between them, finding Eren's hand against his stomach, something hidden away between his hand and his sweater. Eren looked away, eyes downcast and tears slipping down his cheeks as he let go of the object, which, once revealed, was discovered to be a cell phone.

At first glance, Levi thought it was the new one he got, judging on how old it was, but that wasn't his phone. It was an older model, and while Levi had gotten a cheap piece of crap, it was still rather new. This one was old, worn down from overuse, and the screen was cracked on the side. It wasn't his, but then whose was it?

"Eren…" He leered, eyes glancing up as he took the phone from him. "Where did you get this?"

"I-I got it off of Gunther's desk…" He uttered, voice shaking and broken as another tear fell from his eyes.

"Eren…!" Levi gaped. Truly he was surprised. He didn't think Eren would do this, not after all they had been through so far and how far Eren had come, but he was obviously wrong. "When did you even…?" He couldn't even find it in himself to finish his sentence.

"B-Before I started talking to Petra…" He answered, looking utterly guilty.

"Eren, who did you call?" Levi asked and forced Eren to look up at him. Eren fought within his grasp, but it was useless. Levi had a firm grip on his cheeks. "Who did you call, Eren?"

"I can't…"

He was beginning to hate that answer. More so, he was beginning to hate their pimp. He had truly brainwashed them, but he could tell by the look in Eren's watery gaze that he wanted to tell. He wanted to speak up, but couldn't. That was why he said  _'I can't.'_  It was because he  _physically couldn't_  do it.

"It was Armin, wasn't it?" Levi asked, but he already knew the answer. It had to be him. It was either him or his pimp, but Eren had more fears for Armin than his own fear over his pimp. He wanted to make sure Armin was okay. "Wasn't it?"

"No…" Eren mumbled, but that was a lie. Of course it was. He wouldn't look away if it was anything but a lie.

"Did you erase the information off of here too?" Levi asked and held up the phone, pushing it into Eren's field of vision.

"I couldn't… It's so old, I couldn't figure out how to work it." Eren admitted shamefully. Levi scoffed before pushing Eren off of himself and to the floor. Eren caught himself easily enough, but he was instantly up on his feet again when Levi grabbed his wrist and yanked him forward. "I-I'm sorry, captain!" He apologized.

"I'm not the one you should be apologizing too." Levi snapped at him without looking back, and nothing more was said as they left the apartment.

* * *

At this late of a time, it was no surprise that the station was so quiet. There were only a few people left, finishing up reports, filing things away, or finishing last minute bookings. The remaining people were tired, grumpy, and ready to go home. Eren could practically feel their anger emanating off of them, but that wasn't entirely his worry. He didn't want to be looked at by anyone, not even Levi, who still had a firm grip on his wrist and wasn't letting go as he dragged him through the station.

They eventually got to the main office, and there it was much quieter. All that remained (The people Eren knew) of the squad were Erwin, Petra and Gunther. All of them were preoccupied, however, and for reasons Eren didn't like thinking about.

"Well where did you last have it?" Petra asked after finally standing up from the floor.

"I swear I had it on my desk. I have no idea where I could have put it!" Gunther told them, his arms lifting in exasperation.

"And you're sure it isn't in your pockets or bag?" Erwin asked him.

"I already tossed everything out," Gunther said and stuffed his hands into his pants pockets just to be sure.

"Want me to try calling it again?" Petra asked and reached for her phone.

"Go on," Levi told Eren and pushed him forward. Eren stumbled over his feet before catching himself, but the action was enough to catch the attention of his elders.

"Captain Levi…?" Gunther questioned when he saw the two of them, though he was more focused on Eren when Levi pushed him forward again.

"I thought you went home for the day." Erwin said.

"We did," Levi made sure Eren was standing in front of Gunther before finally relenting and giving him space. Eren looked back at him with pleading eyes, but the older man crossed his arms over his chest, not willing to give in to his puppy eyes. The brunette looked back to Gunther, but one look up into the man's eyes had him receding into himself.

"I-I… I took this from your desk…" Eren said under his breath and held up the phone. The man gave him a puzzled expression when he saw his phone, but the moment it clicked in his head, he was delighted.

"I knew I left it on my desk!" He couldn't have been happier, but remembering that this was supposed to be, and the key words were "supposed to be," serious, he cleared his throat and straightened up. "I mean… You took that from my desk…?"

"Yes sir…" Eren mumbled. Levi could barely hold back a scoff. Why didn't he ever call him sir?

"Why did you do that?" Gunther asked after finally taking his phone from him. All he got for a reply was a shake of the head though.

"Hey, brat, answer him. Don't be rude when someone asks you a question." Levi reminded him, but Eren kept silent while his bottom lip was chewed on between his teeth. He wasn't going to give up the answer any time soon.

"Eren, why did you do that?" Petra asked, obviously hurt by this. She trusted him too, but he went and did this behind everyone's back.

"Eren, what you did was wrong." Erwin told him.

"I-I know…" Eren whispered with his head down. "I'm sorry…"

"Whether Gunther accepts your apology or not doesn't matter." Erwin stated. "You stole something, you lied about it, and now you've been into contact with someone we're trying to find. I'm beginning to think that you may need to be placed somewhere else where you can be kept a close eye on." He continued. Eren's eyes darted up to meet his, a lump of fear rising up within his chest and making it hard to breathe.

"Hey, Erwin," Levi spoke up and stepped in front of Eren. "I brought him here so he can apologize to Gunther, not be scared out of his wits. Don't tell him shit that's going to scare him."

"I'm not kidding, Levi." The blond continued. "This wouldn't have happened had you been watching him properly."

"He was in a room with about fifty different officers and no one saw him do it. I'm not the only one to blame here."

"You are the one who was supposed to watch him though."

"Stop it…!" Eren abruptly interrupted them. "D-Don't, please. I'm sorry. I'm really,  _really_  sorry. I won't do it again, I promise, just please… Please don't take me away."

"You aren't going anywhere, Eren." Levi said and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Come on, let's go home."

"Levi-"

"It's late and I'm fucking tired, Erwin." Levi said before the man could continue. "I'm not dealing with this shit today."

With that, the office was left in a dim silence as the two left, leaving behind the three other officers in the tense atmosphere.

* * *

Levi was beyond pissed. Erwin's words had been buzzing in his head the moment they left, and then boiled within his mind while they were in the car. The only reason he didn't snap was because Eren was in the car with him, quietly apologizing over and over again in the back seat, to which he got no response.

However, alone in his room with a half written report in front of him, at nine forty-five at night, the words were eating him away.

How dare Erwin say those things to him? How dare Erwin scare Eren like that? He didn't know how much it terrified him when the idea of being taken away was presented to the brunette, but to try and scare him by throwing it in his face? It was disgusting and morally wrong.

Levi wasn't even half as mad at that as he was at what his commander said to him though.

Erwin just up and suggested Eren be moved, and how many times this week had that been suggested? Too many to count. Eren was fine right where he was. He was getting the help he needed from Levi, he was being fed, and was already dealing with his monsters, one at a time. Levi was doing everything that a hospital would do, except he was actually taking care of him. When he needed someone to talk to, Levi was right there for him. One wouldn't get that at a hospital.

How could Erwin think otherwise? What was Levi doing wrong in his eyes to warrant that suggestion? What was Levi doing different from all of the other cases that told Erwin he wasn't doing his job right? He was doing everything he was supposed to be doing and more considering that Eren lived with him for now. Why should he think of taking Eren away when he was getting everything he needed?

It was absurd. It was ridiculous. There had to be an ulterior reason for Erwin to speak of something like that, but Levi couldn't think of the reason. He couldn't think of anything right now, and this report was the last thing on his mind. He should have been more focused on sleep, because it was already late. If he didn't fall asleep soon, he was going to be tearing his hair out with agitation, and that was something he really didn't need.

However, he should have probably checked on Eren again. Once they got home, Eren went straight to his room, not a word said and apologies gone from his lips. Levi assumed he needed some space. After all, this was another time within the week (Levi had lost count), within a few days even that Eren had been threatened to be taken away. He was scared, and he just needed some time to himself.

Levi should really check on him though. Helping Eren would probably do himself some good, now that he thought about it. It'd take his mind off of things, especially Erwin. They could have had some snacks, and maybe Levi could even coax Eren to the couch to watch some mind numbing television to ease his mind. That was what normal teenagers did, and he was going to have to teach Eren that.

That was  _if_  he was awake of course.

Levi shut his little folder, pushed his report away, and stood from his desk. Yes, it definitely wasn't needed now. Thinking about Eren already eased his mind some as he left his room and went to Eren's. He knocked first, not sure if Eren was asleep or not. For all he knew, he could have been changing for bed.

No response though. Levi figured he was sleeping, but checking wouldn't hurt, would it?

Levi was as quiet as he could be as he opened the door and peaked his head in. The light beside the bed was on, an orange glowing illuminating the room enough for Levi to see that Eren wasn't in there. It looked like he hadn't been there at all. The bed was untouched, still freshly made from this afternoon before they left, and the curtains were still drawn back. By this time of night, one or the other would have closed them to keep out peeping eyes, but they were left alone.

"Eren…?" Levi turned back to the hallway, eyes looking about in the poorly lit environment for the brunette. He shut the door and moved to the bathroom, a small bout of anxiety bubbling in his chest. The door was open, and after looking inside, the same results were given.

Eren wasn't there.

The anxiety in his chest grew, a sort of panic forming its way up from his stomach to his lungs to clench tightly and make it hard to breathe. Levi found himself quickly pacing to the living room, but once again, it had been ignored. The kitchen was empty, and the only other place Eren could be was his own room, but had he not just been in there, he would have double checked.

"Eren…!" He called out and waited. No response. "I'm not playing games here, brat! Come out right now!"

Levi moved quickly, looking about small corners or behind the couch, but why would Eren be there? He wouldn't be there, and he wasn't. Just that was enough to have real panic hit him. Levi couldn't fathom Eren actually leaving, not without him at least. Eren didn't want to leave him, so why would he leave by himself?

Levi needed to confirm this though. He had to. How, he wasn't sure, but he needed to figure it out himself. To do that, the first place he looked was the front door.

To his utter dismay, Eren's shoes were gone, and the front door was slightly cracked open.

"Shit…"! Levi cursed before leaving the apartment. He looked down the hallways, but Eren was nowhere to be seen. He couldn't have gotten far though. The drugs from earlier in the day were still in his system, and he was blatantly tired from all that had transpired. If he had gotten out, he couldn't have gotten far.

Stairs ignored, Levi went to the nearest elevator and got inside, completely forgetting about his own shoes. He pushed the button for the main floor, and he swore that the elevator had never moved so slow in the entire four years that he had been living in this building. He wasn't sure if he could handle it if someone were to push the button and make the elevator stop, but he mentally thanked whatever God that was up there that it didn't.

Once the doors opened, the older man looked about the main lobby. There was only one person there, and it wasn't who he wanted to see. However, it was someone he could go to.

"Excuse me," Levi called out to the man. It was just one of the maintenance men for his building, busying himself with fixing a light fixture that had been out above the doorway to someone's home. He nearly fell off of his own ladder when Levi startled him, just barely able to catch himself before he could fall to the floor.

"Yes sir?" He asked while regaining his balance, but he did it with a certain amount of attitude that had Levi grinding his teeth. Find Eren first. Punch his face in later.

"Did you see a teenager walk through here at all? He's five foot seven with green eyes, brunette hair, and tan skin?" Levi asked, not bothering the man's ignorance.

"Uhm… Yeah, someone like that walked through here. I offered up a hello, but he didn't answer. He was wearing a blue hoodie, so I didn't get a good look at his face. I can't tell you if his eyes were green and his skin was tan."

The blue hoodie was enough to go on. Eren had been wearing it before they left for the station, and that was all he needed to know.

"When was that?"

"What now?"

"When did he leave?" Levi barked his question.

"Well he left just as I was starting this, so maybe… Half an hour ago at the most." The man looked down at his watch to be sure, but he nodded his head to confirm the time.

"Fucking hell," Levi groaned and turned away. That was not what he wanted to hear at all. He wanted to hear that Eren left a few minutes ago, maybe even just walked out the door. Half an hour gave him time to make distance and cover his tracks. It was enough time to get lost and disappear in a sea of people.

Levi hastily pulled his phone from his pocket and looked through his contacts. He quickly hit dial on the one he needed, but he hoped the man would still be awake. He'd feel (slightly) guilty for waking him up.

One ring, two rings, three. His hope was fading fast. Four-

" _Hello?"_  A voice asked from the other line.

"Erwin…?" Levi questioned the man.

" _Yeah. Is something wrong, Levi? You don't usually call this lat-"_

"Eren's gone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look at that. A butterfly... *wanders off in a direction away from the angry people about to cuss me out*


	19. He's Watching

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Goodness gracious. I'm so tired, because I was working on a project today that took hours, and I'm not even done yet! If you're wondering how this pertains to anything here, well you'll find out. x3 Buuut~ Summer is here my friends~ No more weekend updates~ But watch me not break that habit for a while. XD
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Theme of Tears
> 
> P.S. In case anyone wonders what it means later on, (I.C.E) Stands for "In Case of Emergency." Anyone written down like that in Levi's phone are people that are to be contacted if something were to happen to him. Just in case anyone got confused or curious. ^^

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 19: He's watching**

* * *

_Sender: Petra Ral (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:15 p.m._

_"He isn't at the club. I checked with the bouncers and the bartender, but they haven't seen him."_

_Sender: Eld Gin (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:22 p.m._

_"I've checked the security footage from your apartment building. He left the front doors at 9:12, with nothing but sweat pants and a hoodie on. He had nothing else with him."_

_Sender: Gunther Schultz (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:24 p.m._

_"Shit, he left that early?"_

_Sender: Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:32 p.m._

_"The perimeter around your apartment had been set up, Levi. It's a five mile radius all around and we have officers at almost every block. No one has seen him yet, but he couldn't have gotten far within an hour. We'll find him."_

_Sender: Hanji Zoe (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:35 p.m._

_"No one is saying he didn't have money with him though. What if he took a cab?"_

_Sender: Eld Gin (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:37p.m._

_"I'm going to the hotel across the street from Levi's apartment. They have a butt load of security cameras. Maybe they caught something that can tell us where he went."_

_Draft_

_Written at 10:38 p.m._

_"Get on it quickly. If he's running back to his pimp, we need to stop him."_

_-Sent_

Levi cursed under his breath before tossing his phone into the passenger seat. He couldn't risk texting while driving; he didn't feel like dying today.

The moment the light turned green, he all but pushed his old car into moving fast. His eyes were on the streets, looking for the tuff of brunette hair amongst the busy crowds. Of all days for him to have gone missing, it had to be so busy at such a late time. It was freezing out. December was just around the corner, and the streets were still so lively with Christmas shopping.

Eld said Eren left with his hoodie on, as did the maintenance man. He only had one, the one Petra bought him, but that wasn't enough to keep him warm. He'd surely freeze out here by himself. If they didn't find him soon, there was no telling what could happen.

Would he really run back to his pimp? Would he get sick or hurt from being out on his own?

The two of them had been making such great progress. Eren was finally opening up to him, putting his trust into him, and telling him things. They were getting so close to real answers, but then one call to Armin and they back peddled hundreds of paces.

What had been said over that phone call? What had Armin said to make Eren fall back into himself like this? What had Armin said to make Eren suddenly up and leave?

Or was it really even Armin? What if Eren had been telling the truth, and he really had talked to his pimp? That man must have had thicker hooks in him if that was the case, thicker than what Levi had previously perceived.

Was he in danger? Was Armin sick or dying? If so, was it possible that Eren had left to go save him?

Why hasn't he said something? Why hadn't he just told Levi that? The older man thought he made it clear that, if need be, he'd personally go save Armin. Now that this had happened, did this mean that Eren really didn't trust him this much?

"Shit, shit, shit..." Levi cursed and hit his steering wheel. He had no idea where Eren could have gone, but there was someone who might have known.

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Hanji asked as she opened the door wider for Levi.

"I need to talk to Mikasa." Levi said and didn't even wait for an invitation inside. He pushed passed Hanji and made his way into the apartment, eyes searching for his young niece somewhere in her home.

"Y-You aren't allowed to, Levi!" Hanji blurted out as she shut the door and chased him around the apartment. Mikasa was in the kitchen, a small sandwich on the plate in front of her as she cleaned up the things around her. Her attention had been peaked when she heard Hanji further into the apartment, but when Levi walked in and found her, she could feel the immediate tension surrounding him.

"Mikasa," He addressed forcefully.

"You aren't supposed to talk to me..." She spoke softly, her attention turning to her food.

"Has Hanji told you what's going on with Eren?" Levi asked, ignoring all of the rules that had been laid out in front of him.

Fuck the rules. His kid was missing, and he needed answers.

Hearing Eren's name caught enough of Mikasa's attention. Hearing it said so frantically, with such worry, made her anxiety rise.

"... No, why?" She asked. "Is he okay?"

"He's missing," Levi told her.

"Levi...!" Hanji reprimanded.

"I'm not playing games, Hanji." Levi abruptly stated and stepped forward, only leaving a foot of space between him and Mikasa. By now, her food had long since been forgotten about. "Do you know where he is?"

"Of course I don't!"

"Mikasa, if you think he's safe going back then you're wrong! Eren's life is in danger, so if you know he is, you need to tell me!"

"I don't know!" Mikasa blurted. "If I did I would tell you, but I don't!"

"Where is your pimp then?" Levi continued to question.

"I don't know..."

"Mikasa-!"

"I don't know! Armin said he moved his place, but he didn't know where! I don't know where he is and I don't know where he could possibly go!" His niece cried out. "I know he'll hurt him if Eren goes back, but I don't know!"

"Then where is Armin?"

"He moved him too. The last time I talked to him was the last time Armin was home. I don't know where either of them are..." Her voice broke, splintering as she held back the pain emanating from her tone.

"Do you know of any places Eren would go?" Hanji asked worriedly.

"No, Eren was always with us..." Mikasa's eyes drifted to the floor, looking sad and unsure. She had no idea where her brothers could be, and if it was true and their pimp had moved Armin, then there was no chance of finding him.

Was this why Eren never told him where he was? Because he didn't know himself?

"Mikasa, where was your old home?" Levi asked and touched her arm. She flinched, black eyes looking up skeptically, but she didn't pull away.

"No..." She whispered, something very similar to what Eren would respond with.

"Mikasa, Eren might go there if he thinks Armin is still there. Where is it?"

"I can't..."

"Mikasa," Levi leered.

"No...!"

"What if he's there, Mikasa? Don't you want him back?"

"I... I-I can't..." Mikasa stepped back, head shaking and eyes widening like she had seen a ghost.

"Why...?" Levi asked and stepped forward to keep the distance close.

"I can't..."

He began to wonder if they were taught this. Cool and collected, Mikasa answered questions like there was nothing wrong. Under panic, she acted just like Eren.

The answers were the same though. "No," and "I can't," we're things Eren said whenever Levi asked personal questions. They must have been taught this, or rather, they were  _forced_  to answer like this. "I can't," was not something that could answer the question, but it was their simple way of saying they couldn't answer the question honestly, no matter how much they wanted to.

And she looked like she wanted to.

"Why...?" Levi asked, his voice dropping. "Why can't you tell us where your home is...?"

"Because he's watching..." She whispered, voice shaking and uncontrollable, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

Levi had chills going up his spine.

What did she mean by that? "He's watching" was an obvious answer, but to what? He was watching them or their home? He had cameras on them? Microphones? Was he watching over them right now?

Was that even possible? Was he listening to their conversation right now?

Was that why Eren and Mikasa could never answer anything?

In the dense quiet, their eyes still locked together, Levi's phone began to ring. He mentally cursed at the terrible timing, but it could have been Eld with information or footage from the security videos. It could have been Erwin with an update from the perimeter. He had to check.

Levi finally broke their gazes and pulled out his phone. He flipped the little device open and looked at it, finding a new text message waiting for him to read.

_Sender: Petra Ral (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 10:59 p.m._

_"I've got him. He's alive and safe. We're at the first arena by the docks, but he doesn't want to see anyone except for Captain Levi."_

"Petra has him," Levi announced with a breath of relief. Mikasa's eyes widened, her body shivering at the idea.

"Is he okay?" She asked and grabbed at the sleeve of his jacket.

"She says he's fine." Levi told her and stuffed his phone away. A sigh of relief left the teen, her body trembling as she nearly collapsed to the floor. The only thing keeping her up was her grip on Levi. "I'm going over there to get him."

"Wait-!" She tugged at his shirt, stopping him from getting too far. Levi looked at her like she had lost her mind, but when he saw the look of hopelessness on her face, the shear fear of what was occurring, he was reminded that she was still just a kid too.

Mikasa may have seemed apathetic, but that was just a mask. Under that mask was his scared little niece, and he couldn't put her through this again.

"Don't worry," Levi said and lifted a hand to brush her bangs from her face. "I'll tell Hanji to let you know what's going on. I won't leave you out of this, okay?"

"Okay..." She mumbled, hands still shaking like the rest of her body as she breathed out another heavy sigh.

"Trust me, Mikasa..."

"Okay..." Another tear managed to wiggle its way from her big eyes, now watery like the dam was about to burst.

Levi wasn't sure if he could handle seeing her cry.

* * *

Pulling up to the arena reminded him of the days when he was a junkie. Shady business was always dealt under the cover of night there. The heavy smell of the ocean covered up anything anyone was smoking, and if bodies needed to be disposed of, it was always right here.

This was always the perfect place for seedy crimes, so what was Eren doing here? Was this a meet up for him and his pimp?

It wasn't hard to find them. Petra's car was the only one parked by the shore side, backseat door open with her in front of it. When Levi got out of his car, he could see Eren sitting in the backseat, legs dangling out of the car with his head hung low and covered by his hoodie. Levi couldn't see his face from where he stood, but he would fix that.

The slam of his car door caught Petra's attention, bringing her from looking at Eren to finding him walking down to them. She could see the anger in his eyes though, and if this were a cartoon, he'd probably have steam coming out of his ears. Levi was pissed, but that much was obvious.

"Captain," She said in a warning tone as Levi walked up to them. The man didn't get within ten feet of him before she stopped him short, using herself as a barricade to keep the older man from charging at him.

"Move out of the way, Petra." He ordered her, his eyes glaring daggers at her. He had nothing against her, but he was too pissed to fully register his anger at the moment.

"Not unless you won't yell at him!" She exclaimed.

"Bull shit! After the stunt he just pulled?"

"You don't understand, captain!" She told him and pressed her hands into his chest. "You can't do that, not when he's like this!"

"Like what?"

"Like..." She stopped and turned her head, eyes finding Eren still sitting in the car. He was as still as a statue, disturbingly so. He hadn't moved, and not once had he looked up to watch them argue. "He's just... Not right."

"What are you talking about, Petra? What do you mean he's not right?" Levi questioned, his patience wearing thin.

"Just... Come here, and  _don't_  yell at him." Petra took up his hand and pulled him to the car, very ginger in her steps along the cold sand. She looked back at Levi wearily as she presented Eren to him, but Levi had already felt the tension in the air the moment he stepped close. Or rather, the lack of it.

Eren was still unusually silent, green eyes still diverted to the ground. Now that Levi had the chance to look at him up close, his eyes were fogged over with an unusual haze. His hands rested in his lap, and his legs didn't move from their position. There was a blanket around him, curtesy of Petra who wanted to keep him warm, but he didn't bother tugging on it to cover himself.

"... Eren?" He called out to him softly, but there was no response. Levi stepped closer and knelt down in front of him, his hands lifting and touching a cold hand upon his knee. No reaction.

"See…?" Petra questioned quietly.

Yes, he did see it. What he saw, in fact, was nothing.

This wasn't Eren. Far from it. The fire in his eyes was gone, the color of his skin was pale, but that was most likely due to the prolonged exposure to the cold surrounding them. His body felt fragile under his hand, like simply moving to touch him would make him break into a billion little pieces. His breath was calm, quiet, and even, but it shouldn't have been that way. Not at all.

Too much had been going on in one day for this to be calm for him. He shouldn't have been this apathetic to the situation at hand, and had he not realized what he had done? Eren left, which only strengthened Erwin's argument. Levi was supposed to watch him, to protect him, and Eren suddenly left without him realizing it. There was too long of a gap between the time he left and the time Levi found out for it to be a simple "accident" as well. It left a huge amount of time, an amount of time Erwin was going to take into serious consideration.

So why wasn't he upset? Why wasn't he panicked? The chances of him being taken away, thrown in a cell, or locked up in the looney bin were growing higher, so why wasn't this affecting him?

' _Mikasa says that I black out really badly when stuff goes on. I don't remember whatever happens when something goes wrong, even though she says I react to everything around me.'_

' _There's... A whole week of my life I don't even remember. I guess I saw something I shouldn't have and... Mikasa and Armin said I was on autopilot for a week.'_

Of course. That was what this was.

Eren had blacked out.

"Eren…?" He called to him with worry. He shook at his leg, hoping to pull some sort of reaction from him.

He wasn't sure what to expect, whether it was for the teen to argue with him or to turn away, but he wasn't expecting dull eyes to look up at him. Or rather, he was looking past him.

Levi felt a shiver go up his spine, and it wasn't from the cold.

Eren looked so dead.

"… Hi Captain…" The brunette spoke softly, not a hint of any emotion present in his voice. There was nothing, and that wasn't right.

"Eren, are you okay?" Levi asked and lifted a hand up to touch Eren's cheek. He should have flinched; he should have reacted at all, but Eren didn't even blink when the officer touched his cold skin.

"I'm fine…"

"No you're not. You were out here all by yourself and freezing." Levi pulled the blanket around Eren and tucked it into his lap, making sure Eren's hands were covered.

"… Where am I?" Eren asked him, eyes slowly falling to look at Levi's effervescent hands.

"At the fucking beach, you brat." Levi said. Eren's eyes once again lifted, but instead of looking at him, he looked at his surroundings. Sure enough, they were at the beach, sand under his feet, though not much. Petra's car wasn't so far out that the waves could lap away at her car or that it could sink within the sand.

"How'd I get here?"

"I don't know. You left by yourself, so you tell me."

"I don't remember…" He mentioned, voice still too quiet for Levi's comfort.

"Well you walked right out of the front door. Is there anything you do remember?"

"I just… Couldn't think… Everything was too loud in my head… So I couldn't think straight… I just needed some fresh air."

"Eren, you're eleven miles from home." Levi informed him, to which there was no surprised reaction. "If you felt that way, why didn't you just come and talk to me about it?"

"I didn't… Want to cause any more trouble…"

Did he not see what he had just done? He must not have. The drugs in his system, added with these "voices" in his head must have made his thoughts cloudy. He must not have realized the serious situation he had brought about by running off like this.

"Eren, I won't be bothered if you want to talk to me. As a matter of fact, it would make me happy if you did. I don't want you running off like this again." Levi sat up some to pull Eren close, so Eren could rest his weight against his body and stay warm.

"I didn't mean it… I'm sorry…"

"Save the apologies for later, okay? Let's just get you home and get you warmed up." Levi told him. He felt a timid nod against his shoulder, but that was all the response he got. The older man looked back to Petra, who had been uncharacteristically silent up until this point. She looked like she wanted to say something, but she was keeping quiet, in case Eren decided to say something important.

Looks like that quietness was for nothing.

"How did you find him? Levi asked her.

"When I left the club, I thought about some places people usually hide out in. I was actually heading over to the bad part of town when I saw him walking along the beach." Petra explained. Levi nodded his head to her before looking back to Eren. The weight against his shoulder increased, alerting the man that the brunette more than likely fell asleep against him. Taking pity on him, Levi sighed as he wrapped his arms around him, one under his legs, and the other around his back. He picked him up and carried him towards his car, and instinctually, Petra followed to open the car door for him.

"Thank you," He said quietly, fearing he may wake up Eren. He set him down softly in the passenger seat and buckled him in, but it seemed that it would take a train to wake him up at this point. "Can I keep the blanket for a bit?"

"Of course. I don't mind. Bring it back whenever. It was in my car for emergencies, so it's not like I really need it." Petra waved him off like the offer was nothing, her cheeks tinting a light pink as he tucked the brunette in.

"Right," Levi agreed and pressed a hand into her shoulder. "Thank you for everything tonight, Petra. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem, Captain. Eren's important to me too, you know?" She asked with one of her smiles, a smile that seemed to light up a whole room or break away the tension.

"Yeah, I know. Thank you again. Go home and get some well-deserved rest. I'll make sure everyone is updated so they can go home too."

"Okay," Petra agreed. Levi got into the driver's seat of his car, giving Petra one last wave goodbye. She waved as well before running back to her car, probably freezing by this point.

Levi buckled himself in and turned the heat on full blast before leaving, making sure every vent was aimed for Eren so he could warm up. As he drove, he looked through his rear-view mirror, looking back one last time at Petra. She was already at her car, but at some point she had turned around to wave one last time at them.

That was all he could see before she disappeared from his view.


	20. Ache

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Just remember... I said just about every trigger warning and tag was in this story. I meant it. I've warned you, so you can't say I didn't!
> 
> I'm legit scared right now though. e-e Everyone was like, "We won't stop reading this story! We like it too much!" And I was like, "We haven't hit the bad parts yet!" So I'm just going to go hide from the assault I'm about to receive.
> 
> I love you? ^^' Ehehehe... Heh...
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Gloria
> 
> By: Kalifina

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 20: Ache**

* * *

_"This is unacceptable, Levi."_

Levi's eyes drifted down, finding the brunette still sleeping soundly beside him. Ignoring the growling tone and venom dripping off of Erwin's words wasn't easy, but seeing Eren's sleeping face, so peaceful without a care in the world, seemed to take away the terrible pressure being forced on his shoulders. It was like everything he had been through didn't exist anymore, at least while he was asleep.

If only that was the case. If only none of it had happened. If only he could continue sleeping on in that peaceful, blissful world for just a bit longer.

"I know..." Levi replied into the receiver.

_"I can't even imagine what was going on with you when Eren left. To think he walked right out of the front door, your front door, so late into the night?"_

"I know..." Levi repeated himself while brushing brown hair from Eren's face.

_"Don't you have anything more to say then, Levi? Would you like to give me some excuse as to why this situation even happened?"_

"I have none..." Levi said softly. "I was writing my report when Eren walked out of the apartment. I wasn't paying attention, so I take full responsibility."

 _"Those are brave words,"_ Erwin stated.  _"So you're willing to take up the responsibility of Eren's disappearance?"_

"Yes sir..."

_"Then I'm going to have Eren spend tonight in a holding cell at the station. Maybe that'll get answers fro-"_

"Erwin, please don't take this out on him." Levi pleaded with the man, fearing that if he rose his voice, he'd wake the boy.

_"I'm not taking it out on him, Levi. I'm doing what's best for him, and what's best for him is this. He's not getting anywhere with where he is now."_

"He's with me," Levi stood up from the couch and left the room, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep himself calm while around Eren. He didn't want to scare him, and if Eren were to wake up to the conversation? There was no point in it. "And he's made huge progress that you aren't seeing. We're getting closer to answers, just... Just give me a few more days."

 _"We don't have a few more days, Levi."_  Erwin's voice rose with authority, a voice he used around the lower officers who were trigger happy. _"I don't want Armin's body found in a ditch somewhere. We don't know what's happening to him right now, or even if he's alive at this point. We need to save him, and Mikasa and Eren are the only ones who can help us with that."_

"Leave Mikasa out of this!" Levi hissed quietly, but he tried to convey his anger through his quiet voice. "She has nothing to do with this!"

_"Have you forgotten what our case is? Mikasa and Eren are prostitutes, and as of right now, witnesses to our case."_

"They did nothing wrong..."

 _"Selling yourself for sex is illegal, or have you forgotten that?"_ Levi bit at his bottom lip as he leaned against the hallway wall, feeling the battle slip from his grasp, even though he never had it. _"This argument is over, Levi. When he wakes up, I want you to bring him to the station. I'll decide where we go from there."_

"Please, Erwin, just give me until the end of today."

_"Levi-"_

"I'll get him to talk, just give me some time. Eren had been through too much shit last night, and he still isn't right. He's also running a fever after being out in the cold. Just give me a bit more time, okay?" Levi felt the air in his throat catching, anxiety building up as he waited for Erwin's answer.

The other line was quiet for a good, long while; for a moment he even feared that the line had disconnected. However, after what felt like an eternity, there was a heavy sigh on the other side of his phone call, followed by what sounded like Erwin tapping something (his hand possibly) against his desk.

 _"If you don't have answers by the end of the day, I want him here."_  Erwin told him.

"By the end of  _today_..?" Levi asked.

_"Don't push your luck, Captain."_

"... Yes sir."

* * *

When Eren finally woke up, he wasn't aware of his surroundings at all. He didn't know why he was there, how he was there, or even when he got there, and where was he?

When the brunette lifted his head, the heartbeat that had been in his ear had faded away. The support that was a chest still breathed calmly from under him, slow deep breaths making it rise and fall, a soft lullaby. Eren very nearly dropped his head back down if it wasn't for the grey eyes that caught his gaze, at first relaxed, but then surprised.

"Eren...?" He wasn't sure why he was surprised it was Levi. The officer ever so rarely left him alone these past few days.

"Hi Captain..." He mumbled sleepily as Levi sat up from under him. Eren had no choice but to sit up with him, pushing himself up onto his hands and knees and letting the blanket slide down his back.

"Are you okay, Eren?" Levi asked while touching his forehead. His fever had gone down, which Levi was grateful for. It was getting bad; any longer and Levi would have needed to take him to the hospital. He knew that he risked getting sick sleeping under the teen like this, but he couldn't care less about that.

As of right now, he couldn't care about anything else but the green eyes on him. Though filled with sleep, the fire in his eyes had been lit again, at full spark and  _alive_. That was all he had been hoping for.

"My head feels heavy..." Eren responded and tilted his head to the side, as if his head was heavy enough to throw off his balance.

"I bet it does after how long you were out last night." Levi told him and pulled the blanket up to wrap around the brunette's shoulders.

"I was out last night?" Eren questioned, his eyebrows furrowing in a look of confusion.

"Eren..." Levi began, but he didn't want to say this. He didn't want to be the bearer of more bad news for the kid, but he didn't have a choice. If they didn't end today with answers, Erwin was going to lock him up. Levi wasn't ready to tell him that, but he wasn't going to ignore the fact that it was time to get answers from him.

Levi sighed as he took up Eren's hands within his own. The teen's hands were clammy and shaky, not to mention still warm with a fever. He couldn't help but think that Eren needed something to eat soon. He hadn't had anything to eat since last night, and it was already four in the afternoon.

He was running out of time.

"You blacked out last night, Eren..." He admitted painfully. He hated doing this to him, especially when the look on Eren's face fell like he had just heard that someone close to him had died. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. "You left the apartment around nine too. Petra found you at the beach almost two hours later."

"I... I-I..." Eren's mouth was left open, words wanting to leave, but he couldn't seem to get them out.

"You don't remember, do you?"

"No…!" Eren cried while trying to sit up, but once again, the world was spinning around him. He would have fallen off of the couch had it not been for Levi being there to catch him.

"Calm down, Eren. Don't work yourself up." Levi warned him, but it fell on deaf ears.

"How…? H-How? What day is it? What time is it?" Eren frantically flailed within Levi's grasp, but the fight was nothing for the man. He was able to keep him on the couch and hold onto his arms to keep from hurting himself. "How long was I out for? I-I can't-!"

"Eren, calm down!" Levi rose his voice over him. Hearing the sudden authority in his voice, Eren stopped, eyes wide and red from fear and tears as he looked to the older man, but for what?

Guidance? Acceptance? Which was it?

"Captain…"

"It happened last night. You've only been out of it for a few hours." Levi told him. At his words, Eren all but sighed, his head falling against the older man's shoulder. His breathing was shaky, tears barely presenting themselves at the edges of his eyes. He fell apart in his arms, body slack and melting into a soft embrace Levi openly welcomed.

The older man wrapped his arms around the brat, pulling him back against his body to keep him warm and make him feel safe. He felt the tears along his shoulder, sinking down into the fabric of his shirt and sliding down his neck. He heard the pain mixed with relief in Eren's voice as he cried and sobbed. Most of it was out of frustration, and the rest was just sheer happiness.

He hadn't missed much. He hadn't missed anything important. That was all he was afraid of, but even if something could happen in a few hours, Levi would have said something by now.

"You're alright, Eren…" Levi whispered against the side of his head. Eren nodded his head against him, the grip on his sides tightening as Eren held onto him. It was a painful grip bordering on unbearable, but it was just barely there. Levi could handle it if it meant Eren could have some grip on reality. He'd do it for him.

Maybe this was his way of confirming that he really was awake. Maybe this was just him trying to take control of himself and calm down. He wouldn't know what was going on in Eren's head, not unless he spoke.

"Eren," Levi said softly and placed a hand under his chin. Eren lifted his head with the small prompt, eyes glassy and snot dripping down his chin, which Levi simply ignored. He wasn't going to lecture Eren on cleanliness right now.

"Yes…?"

"I'm going to ask you something. You aren't going to like it, but you need to be honest with me."

"I don't know where they are." Eren said before Levi could continue, leaving the older man perplexed. "I knew Armin had been moved. I don't know where he took him to though… He told me that when I talked to him. That's why I got so upset yesterday."

"Are there any places he could have hinted to?"

"No," Eren shook his head. "He wouldn't do that."

"Was Armin aware of where they were going?"

"He said he didn't know either… I don't know how far away Armin is… Or if he's even in the same city…" Fresh tears sprung up to Eren's eyes at the idea. He lifted his arm and wiped his face away with his sleeve, all of which Levi tried to ignore. "He's gone now…"

"We don't know that just yet, Eren. Don't give your hopes up."

"What hope? I haven't had any in years…"

"That doesn't mean this is over. Do you guys have any meet up places? Anywhere that you would go to if you got separated?"

"We do, but now that Mikasa and I are gone, he'd never let Armin leave to go there. There would be no point…"

"Don't say that, Eren. It's something we can work with."

This  _was_  something they could work with. This was more of an answer than he had gotten within the week Eren had been with him. Whatever they had talked about, whatever  _happened_  on that walk, opened Eren up even more.

"I don't see how…"

"Eren, can you explain something to me?" Levi asked him and moved his hands down thin arms until he could pick up Eren's hands.

"I could try…" He admitted weakly.

"When I asked Mikasa why she couldn't tell us where your old home is, she said it was because  _"he's watching."_  I didn't have time to ask her what that meant, so could you tell me?"

"… I can't…" Eren lowered his head, eyes downcast in shame.

"Why Eren…?" Levi tilted his head in hopes of catching his eyes. "Just nod or shake your head. Is he listening right now?"

Levi waited with baited breath, fearing the answer if it were a nod. To think his home had been bugged would have set him off easily, but what if it wasn't that? What if there was something on Eren? Levi couldn't possibly imagine tiny cameras and microphones to be hidden somewhere on his person; that was all conspiracy crap, but he couldn't be too sure.

After what felt like an eternity, but was only a few seconds in reality, Eren shook his head. Levi sighed; so that wasn't the case.

Good. That meant he could sleep peacefully tonight.

"Did he tell you to never tell then? Is that why you won't say anything?" Levi asked, but he didn't get a response. "If he's not listening, Eren, then he can't possibly know if you turned against him. He can't hurt Armin if he doesn't know."

Green eyes lifted up to meet his, a glint of cautious curiosity playing off of those dark orbs.

"… H-He always said that… Even if he wasn't around, others were, and if we misbehaved… They'd hurt us too."

"Was that true?"

"Sometimes… He said that he was always watching us though. He said… Said that he always knew when we were doing something wrong, and he always did! Like… I think he had cameras set up everywhere. He never said anything about what we said, because sometimes we'd talk about leaving, but he always knew if we  _did_  something wrong."

Eren sat up a little, as if his confidence was growing the more he spoke. That spark in his eyes grew, but there was something holding him back. He just needed one more push, but what would be needed to knock him over the edge? What was that one last thing to get him spilling his guts?

Losing Eren had been what made Mikasa talk, but she seemed to have slipped by mistake. They couldn't threaten Eren with that, because Armin was already gone, and even if they took Mikasa away, she'd be safe. There was no way they could use that against him.

"He always knew though."

"Did you ever find any cameras…?"

"No, but I was too afraid to look. I thought that, if I found one and he was watching… What would he do to me?" Eren's body shivered at the memories of possible punishments, all of which had already happened to him, and would happen again. What about the ones that hadn't happened yet? He couldn't even think of any more tortures that would be thrown at him.

"He isn't going to do anything to you, Eren. Not while I'm alive." Levi assured him and squeezed his hands.

Yeah, Eren believed that. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Levi would give his last breath to protect him, but that was what scared him.

He didn't know what he was up against. He didn't know who they were fighting with. If it meant his last breath, he'd be dead, and then what would happen? Eren and Mikasa would surely go back to him.

"That's what I'm afraid of…" Eren whispered, hushed and under his breath.

"Hey," Levi said and tilted his head up with a finger under his chin again. Green eyes widened at the suddenness of it, finding a berating look directed towards him. "I may not know who they are, but you're underestimating me. There's a reason Erwin trusts me as much as he does, even given my background."

"But…" Eren began, but he stopped. What did he want to say? What did he want to do? There was nothing he could say that could change the situation.

"No buts. I was made captain for a reason, and that means I protect my squad, Mikasa and you. No one is going to stop me from doing that." Levi leaned back, hands falling back to his sides that Eren wanted to chase. "Besides. If level one narcotic's can't kill me, not much can."

"Still…" Eren tried again, but he was getting himself nowhere. The older man sighed and pulled Eren close, just enough for their foreheads to brush as Eren's head dropped onto his shoulder.

"That's a 'but' too. We're going to see the end of this, Eren. Together. That means neither of us are dying, got it?"

"… Got it…" Eren whimpered weakly into his shoulder. Levi pulled on Eren again until he was back against the couch with Eren laying on top of him, much like the position they were in when Eren first woke up. The brunette had no complaints or concerns, and as far as anyone else was concerned, he didn't care if anyone saw. Levi's heartbeat was there, real, and warm; a reminder that he was alive. He was still alive, and that heart was still beating for him.

That was all that mattered.

After a few moments of quiet, with everything settled, Eren secure and comfortable against his body, Levi leaned over to the coffee table and grabbed his phone.

He needed to update Erwin on this. They weren't the answers that they were looking for, but it was something. Maybe then Eren could stay longer. Maybe then Erwin would stop breathing down his neck and let him stay.

_Draft to: Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_Written at: 4:15 p.m._

" _Erwin, I got Eren talking. He doesn't know where Armin is. Both he and Mikasa said that, after talking with Armin, the kid told them that their pimp was moving him. The two of them are gone and neither of them knows where. That's all he knows."_

_-Sent_

Levi left it off with that. He was going to let Erwin settle with that information, and if the answer came out sounding relatively positive, he'd ask about Eren. For now, there was just no point in bringing it up.

"Did anything happen while I was out?" Eren asked quietly, his voice muffled by Levi's shirt.

"Aliens invaded the planet, Hanji is pregnant with seventeen kids, and Erwin sucks cock." Levi stated bluntly. Eren lifted his head up from Levi's chest to give him a confused stare, begging for more answers. Preferably truthful ones. "Okay, the first two were lies."

Eren snickered and dropped his head down on Levi's chest again, ear falling square over his heart. He sighed heavily, hands moving out from under the blankets to rest against the man's chest and for fingers to mindlessly tangle within his collar. Levi didn't say anything against it; Eren wasn't even sure if he was aware of it. It wasn't like he would bring it up though.

He ignored it and turned his attention to the TV that had been on in the background. The volume had been down so he wouldn't wake up, but now that he was awake, Levi had no problems turning the volume up to get back to what he was watching. What was he watching again? If he remembered correctly, he wasn't really watching anything. He was just skimming through channels while his mind ran on and on about the situation. He hadn't been paying attention to what went across the screen. Hell, porn could have been on and he wouldn't have noticed it.

"Do you want to watch this?" Levi asked when he realized that what was on seemed mildly familiar. He knew of this show, or rather the comedian who was on the TV, so he knew already that most of the things he said weren't completely vulgar.

"What is it?" Eren asked, his voice muffled with the way his cheek was pressed into the older man's chest.

"A comedian. He's pretty funny. If that's your sort of thing."

"Sure." Eren quietly agreed. Levi set the remote down to leave the channel on just as his phone went off again. He felt a strange pit forming in his stomach, already knowing who it was and hoping this would work out for the best, but he didn't know. He'd just have to wait and see.

_Sender: Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 4:20 p.m._

" _What do you mean Mikasa doesn't know either? Did you talk to her?"_

Shit.

Levi had completely forgotten about that. He wasn't supposed to talk to her; he wasn't even supposed to be around her, and yet he blatantly ignored the rules, went to Hanji's apartment, and stood in front of his niece to ask her himself. He'd forgotten within that time of panic, and now he'd let his big mouth go and messed the situation up even more.

What was he supposed to say? Hanji wouldn't cover for him, not if it meant risking her own job. He wouldn't want her to do that anyway. This was his mistake, not hers, and he needed to take his lumps on his own.

_Draft to: Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_Written at 4:21 p.m._

" _When Eren left, I went over there to ask her if she knew where Eren was. That's when she told me."_

Levi stopped for a moment to think about this. He needed to make sure he made it obvious that he didn't ask anything about her, but he hadn't, right?

" _I didn't ask her about anything else though."_

_-Sent_

He was really pushing his luck doing this. Erwin was a patient man; this much was obvious. If he wasn't, Levi would have been in that hospital for a lot longer than he was, but Erwin took care of him. There were many reasons why Erwin was patient with him, more so than others, but Levi was really pushing it. He wouldn't be surprised if Erwin started threatening his job soon, because he would deserve it. Anyone else would have lost their job already, so he should have considered himself lucky.

Eren's sudden laughter brought Levi out of his deep thoughts. It was a short laugh, probably held back, but it was a laugh nonetheless. Whatever it was that had been on the TV was doing its job if it got someone like Eren laughing, but that was good. A good distraction went a long way.

" _And I told my wife to push. What did she do? She punched me square in the face and broke my nose! She didn't apologize. All she said was, 'This is what you've done to me! Payback is a bitch!' And then started to push!"_

The audience in the background was in an uproar of laughter. Eren was keeping himself for bay, but for how long? He was already snorting so he wouldn't break out laughing, but that wasn't going to last long.

The tension in the air that had been dissipating grew quickly once more when Levi's phone went off again. He almost feared looking at the message that was sure to be there.

_Sender: Erwin Smith (I.C.E)_

_Received at: 4:22 p.m._

" _Are you out of your mind?"_

There went the last of his patience.

Levi paused to think of his response, but he didn't have the time. Two more messages popped up before he could even begin typing his answer to the man.

" _You were under direct order not to go near her. You should have known better than to do that."_

" _If you disobey the order again, Levi, you're off the case entirely."_

That was his final warning.

"Levi…?" Eren asked softly, only now noticing the slightly troubled look on the older man's face.

"Hm…?" Levi looked away from his phone and down to Eren.

"Is something wrong?" He asked him.

"No, nothing. Why do you ask?"

"You looked upset…" Eren mumbled, expression falling. Levi lifted his free hand to run through Eren's hair, hoping to draw the attention away from himself.

"I'm not upset. I just have a chronic resting bitch face as they call it."

"Resting  _what?_ " Eren huffed under his breath, a small smile playing on his lips.

"Actually that's Eld who always says that. I guess a resting bitch face is just a face that never makes an expression, even when someone is happy. He says I need to see a doctor about pulling at my muscles to see if they can loosen up."

"I've never heard of that before." Eren laughed into his shirt, finding the statement all too true. Had he seen Levi smile yet? Maybe a halfcocked smirk every now and again, but not a genuine smile. "It must be a very serious case of it then."

"Must be. Can't complain." Levi leaned back onto the couch, setting his phone aside. He had nothing more to say to Erwin; no excuses and no apologies. If Erwin wasn't satisfied with the answers he was given, he'd call him like he usually did. Until then, there was just nothing to do besides sit and watch TV. "I'm quite comfortable with my resting bitch face."

"Is that like that thing parents tell kids when they're younger?"

"What thing?"

"My mom always used to tell me that I shouldn't make a certain face, because it would freeze that way. Is it like that?"

"… Maybe. It sounds about right." Levi had to actually think about that for a second. It sounded like it though.

"So does that mean you never smiled as a kid?"

"I don't think so. I remember smiling around my mom, but that's because she would tell the worst jokes."

"I can see where you get it from then…" Eren whispered to himself.

"What was that?"

"Nothing…" Eren spoke a little louder, his head falling to hide himself. "I said then you must have had a sad childhood to have your face freeze like that."

"It wasn't the best, but it definitely wasn't the worst it could have been. My mom made sure of that. She loved me to death, and that's about it."

Eren let those words sink into his head for a moment, trying to process what the man said before he sighed.

Was he saying that his mother was dead? Levi wasn't that old (He never did find out how old Levi was), so she couldn't have been. She would have been too young to die, unless something bad happened to her.

"… Was she nice?" He questioned in a mumble.

"Huh…?" Levi's fingers trailed along his head to the base of the skull to the nape of his neck, feeling the goose bumps rise on his warm skin.

"Your mom. Was she nice?"

"Why are you so interested in my childhood all of a sudden?" Levi asked with a frown.

"I don't know…" The brunette answered truthfully. "Buying time…?"

"Until what…?"

"… I don't know?" Eren smiled weakly, but it was reprimanded by the lightest of squeezes at the back of his neck.

"You're sick and tired. Go back to sleep." Levi ordered him. Eren huffed again, his arms stretching out over his and Levi's head as a whine left his throat.

"I don't want to." He complained.

"I don't care." Levi shut him down immediately. "You need to rest."

"No," Eren playfully pouted.

"Oh yeah. You're sick alright." Levi mocked him and rolled his eyes. It was obvious to him now that his fever was breaking. The attitude he was sporting just proved it.

"I'm sick," Eren agreed quietly and covered his mouth to cough.

"Sure you are," Levi chided. Eren frowned behind his hand, eyes hooded from sleep, though he was still glaring at the man. From the corners of his eyes (Levi was pretending not to look at him), he swore Eren's eyes were slowly growing bigger, but that wasn't possible. It was just their positions, wasn't it?

"Hey Captain…" Eren mumbled. Levi sighed to himself before indulging the boy and looking over to him. Sure enough, Eren's eyes had gotten bigger, with the added effect of being crossed. The boy was intentionally making the face, also bothering to stick his tongue out at him for good measure.

Yeah, that got his interest peaked.

"Now you're just looking for attention." Levi scoffed before pushing at Eren's head. Eren whined as he rolled onto Levi's side, taking up what little space was there between him and the cushions of the couch. It wasn't until Levi's hand graced the hollow spot below Eren's neck that he laughed, but that wasn't a normal laugh one used when they found the situation funny.

Levi's eyes slowly turned over to him, noticing the way Eren had covered his mouth again. He wasn't hiding a forced face; on the contrary, he was hiding himself. He looked like he'd spoken of a hidden secret he wasn't supposed to talk about, and now that Levi knew of it, he felt terribly guilty, but also cautious.

"… Are you ticklish?"

"No…" Eren quickly answered, too quickly. It just proved that it was the truth.

"Are you sure?" Levi asked and moved his hand under the blanket to reach for Eren's arm.

"I'm sure! I promi-!" But it was too late. The older man's hand made quick work to travel up his ribcage until he found his armpit. From there, it was easy to figure out the answer all on his own. Eren curled up upon the touch, reflexes kicking in as he tried to push the tickling hand away, but it wasn't possible.

Levi was over him soon enough. He had both hands moving simultaneously, one at any visible point of his neck and one under his arm. Anytime Eren jerked away, Levi would just move on to the next exposed part of his body and destroyed that with precise movements that would have a little kid peeing themselves by now. Eren was howling at this, his body lurching and rolling out from under him, but even if he moved just an inch, Levi followed.

He couldn't get away. It was too much to bear at this point. In fact…

"S-Stop it! Stop, I-I'm gonna pee!" Eren warned between laughter deep from his belly and panting.

At the sudden warning, Levi pulled his hands away and placed them down on either side of Eren's head while sitting on his lower half, making sure the brat had no way to escape. He watched Eren pant, getting out the last of his giggles that had been trapped with the lack of air. He had tears streaking down his face, which was red from laughter. He looked like he wouldn't have made it another two seconds if Levi had kept it up.

"Don't pee on me." Levi ordered him, not very amused at the idea of having pee on his backside.

"I-I won't…" Eren breathed a sigh of relief, the last of his tears falling into the couch and his hair while he worked on catching his breath. The last of his laughter fluttered past his lips, leaving him utterly spent. He couldn't remember a time he had laughed so hard, at least not within the three years he'd been subjected to this torture. It was a forced laugh, yes, but it was a laugh all the same.

"Are you okay…?" Levi asked him, noticing the fatigue already taking over his body.

"Mhm…" Eren hummed and slowly sat up from under him. Green eyes still red and glassy lifted, looking up at the man.

It was just a laugh. That was all it was. Armin and Mikasa had made him laugh before, and he was met with the same results.

So why was his heart fluttering?

"I didn't think you'd get tired from that." Levi stated and leaned back to let Eren sit up.

"I haven't laughed that hard in a long time."

"Glad I could be of some help…" Levi noticed the soft tint of pink still remaining within Eren's tan cheeks. At first he thought it was from the laughter, but that would have gone away by now, wouldn't it? "Are you sure you're okay?" Levi pressed a hand into his cheek and slowly moved it down his neck, feeling the heat under his skin warming up his cold hand.

"I'm fine…" Eren muttered distractedly, his body shaking, but that was a lie.

Something hurt. It didn't hurt like a cut or a scrape; it just hurt, and it hurt everywhere. His stomach was twisted up in knots and he didn't know why, but he knew that Levi's touch wasn't helping the case at all. His heart was now pounding against his ribcage like someone was beating against him with a fist, and he knew what that felt like. His head felt heavy and clouded, but the rest of his body felt numb and oddly light.

This wasn't right. He hadn't felt this before, at least not at a time he could recall. Maybe he was sicker than he thought? Maybe he was dying even.

"You look like you're about to vomit." Levi mentioned and tilted his head closer, hoping to see Eren's face better, which was now tilted down. "Are you nauseous? If you are, you need to say something, Eren. I'd rather get you to the bathroom now before yo-"

Levi stopped when a hand pressed into his chest, as if to push him away. He couldn't though, not when another hand was holding onto him from the back of his neck and pulling him forward.

Not when a pair of lips met his.

The older man's eyes went wide, staring at the face so close and attached to his so intimately. He had no idea what was going through the brunette's mind, and it wasn't like he could imagine it when he couldn't see his eyes.

Eren's eyes were shut tight, but comfortably with the exception of his bangs covering them. His cheeks were tinted the darkest shade of red Levi had ever seen on him, traveling from one ear to the other and down his neck. His lips were warm to the touch, but soft. He truly didn't think (Because he never bothered to think of it) that Eren's lips could be so soft or gentle, even with the rough pull.

He couldn't think that way though. He  _wouldn't_. It was wrong and he knew it.

Whatever moment Eren was trying to garner was short lived. Levi pushed at his chest, putting space between them, but with Eren's grip still firm at the back of his neck, there was only an inch or two of space between their parted lips.

"Stop…" Levi demanded of him in a stern voice, but he couldn't hide the underlying shake. "What do you think you're doing?"

Eren looked like he was at a loss for words. His lips were parted, letting air pass through to brush against Levi's own, but no words came out. He looked like he wanted to say something, but no matter how much the words ran through his mind, they just wouldn't come out. His hold on him shook, body trying to move away, but just the slightest movement had Levi feeling something he didn't expect to feel.

Something hard pressed against his inner thigh, something that shouldn't have been there in the first place. Levi couldn't even begin to imagine how Eren got an erection like this, and he didn't want to.

"Eren, go to your room." The officer said and moved to stand. The hand on his neck let go; Levi thought he really was listening at first, but he was quickly proven wrong when both of Eren's hands fisted his shirt and held him in place.

"N-No…" Eren whimpered, eyes wide and pleading. The tone in his voice was painful to hear, a beg that was asking for more than Levi could give to him. Levi tried moving again, but Eren's grip was steadfast. He wasn't planning on letting go any time soon. "N-No, please. No…"

"Eren…" Levi grabbed at his hands and pulled, getting his shirt free from his white-knuckled grasp. The brunette wasn't giving up that easily though, his arms quickly reaching up to wrap around his shoulders and pull again.

There was no second kiss. This time Eren's face fell in the crook of his neck while he leaned back, pulling the older man back over him. Had it not been for Levi's hands pressing into the arm of the couch, the two of them would have gone toppling over with Levi landing on top of him. Was that Eren's plan? He didn't really think so. He seemed too out of sorts to think up of something cunning like that.

"Eren…!" Levi reprimanded him, but there was no response. All he felt was the teen's arms tighten, like if he let go, he'd fall. "Kid, this isn't funny." He huffed in exasperation while trying to pull back, but it was no use.

"I'm not kidding…" Eren whispered by his ear. Levi turned his head to argue with him, but Eren pressed another needy kiss to his lips before the man could get the chance to respond.

For whatever reason that was unknown to the man, he didn't pull back. He kept glaring at the stubborn teen for all it was worth, but he wasn't fighting this like he should have been. He wasn't pushing him away, wasn't getting up to leave the room. He wasn't even saying no. He was just letting it happen, and why?

The first time Eren had done this; granted it wasn't the best of situations, but Levi still pushed him away. He still slapped some sense into him. Why wasn't he doing it now? Why wasn't he fighting this off like he normally would?

Why was he letting it happen?

"Oi, brat…" Levi uttered against his lips. Green eyes opened, dazed and fogged over with a thin layer of lust. Levi was human, so he wouldn't deny that it affected him. He would never say it out loud though.

He was rather fond of his job.

"Please…" Eren breathed softly, fingers moving through his hair. His free hand traveled down his shoulder and then up his neck, fingers dancing across his skin until they reached his lips. His index and middle finger ran over the skin that made up his lips, eyes fixated on them like he'd never seen something so desirable before. The gaze was so intense that it was something worth looking at itself.

"No…"

"Please…" He pleaded once more and moved in for another kiss. The older man was once again surprised in himself that he didn't push Eren away, and he was even more surprised in himself when he pushed forward.

He felt the sudden upheaval of relief flood over the teen's body when he responded positively. He reacted with the lightest of moans; had he not been so close, he wouldn't have heard it. The hand in his hair tightened, fingers scratching gently over the shaved parts of his scalp while his other hand moved back around his shoulder and fisted his shirt again.

Levi would have liked to say that he responded accurately to the movement, but he didn't. Far from it in fact. He didn't consider wrapping his arms around his waist and holding onto his hips a good response. He didn't consider his lips parting to partake in the kiss a good response.

What the hell was he thinking?

"C-Captain…" Eren stuttered against his lips. Levi took the opportunity cautiously, still unable to process his own actions. That didn't mean he could scare Eren freely though.

The older man pushed forward, but only slightly. He was testing the waters, finding that Eren had no problems with it. In fact, after the first push, Eren pulled on him until the two were flushed against each other against the cushions of the couch. Like this, Levi could feel the very apparent hardness between Eren's legs pressing into his hips, a pressure that had Eren's eyes rolling back into his head and a sigh passing his lips.

"Are you okay…?" Levi asked, slightly breathless.

"Y-Yes…" Eren panted, his head lolling to the side. Levi wasn't sure if he could believe that answer, but it wasn't like his clouded mind could care at this point.

His lips pressed into the pulse point on Eren's neck, soft and gentle, just like before. His tongue barely slithered out past his slightly red lips to taste his skin, feeling that pulse beating under his tongue and lips like crazy. Another tantalizing sound left Eren, something that should have been illegal. Levi could barely remember that Eren did this for a living; that Levi wasn't his first, and most likely won't be his last (He was too young to be his last). He couldn't even think about how this week had probably been the longest the brunette had ever gone without sex. However, he was with him now, and that was all that mattered.

"Ca-Captain Levi…" Eren's back arched, chest pressing into the older man's and legs parting to allow Levi to slot against his just right. When the pressure against him increased, a weak moan bubbled from his throat, barely suppressed by his lips.

Levi's hands darted down to grab his hips, trying to stop the sudden force being applied, but apparently, Eren thought he was attempting something else. His hips rolled up again incessantly, creating a friction that was stalling Levi's hands in their attempt to stop him.

"Eren…" Levi hissed, trying to hold onto his last strand of control.

It'd been too long since he'd last done this with anyone. He was so busy with work he barely had the time to get himself off let alone find someone to have sex with. The way Eren's hips rolled and grinded against him, the way his body felt, warm and flushed against his, was a serious reminder of his human side that was begging for release.

Levi felt his control slipping fast. This ache he felt, a feeling he hadn't felt in years, was insatiable, just like the teen below him. The movement of his hips were growing erratic. His own mind was losing its senses to the pleasure. His back kept arching in the most beautiful of ways, and the sounds he was releasing…?

"Fuck…" Levi cursed and pushed his hips forward.

Eren moaned out loud at that, barely covering up the first ring of Levi's cellphone. The two of them stopped, sharing equally confused glances at one other before it rang again, pulling them out of their lust filled stupor. Levi looked over to his phone like it was the most annoying thing in the world, and why did he pick that ringtone again? He never thought he could be more annoyed than he was now, but he had no choice but to answer it. He never answered Erwin back, and this was more or less the man right now, demanding answers from him.

"No," Eren stopped the older man as he reached for his phone, pulling back the appendage to his chest and trapping it within his grip.

"Eren-"

"If it's important, they'll call back." Eren stated before pushing himself up onto his elbows to kiss the man. The second his lips were on his, Levi's mind went blank. He couldn't think about anything else, not Erwin or punishment, besides Eren's warm lips and the skin beneath his fingertips.

That damn phone wouldn't shut up though. If only he could hit end, but he couldn't. Not with Eren clinging to him like this.

Three rings, four rings, five, and then it stopped.

"See…?" Eren asked against his lips before getting back to the task at hand.

The brunette pulled him back down against him, fingers threading into his hair and his shirt. The hand at his chest pulled, yanking the heavy wool up and revealing a slender back. Levi tried pulling it back down, but the moment Eren's hand was done with that, he was messing with his belt. His hands were futzing with the buckle and trying to get it undone, but his hands were shaking so violently that it wasn't an easy task.

"Slow down…" Levi whispered before pushing his tongue against enticing lips that willingly opened up for him. He felt the wet muscle within Eren's mouth wrap around his own in a sinful dance, lavishing one another with gentle touches while they moved together. Levi's own hands now participated in slipping up Eren's shirt, finding the skin there even warmer than on his hands or neck. The touches pulled more of those wonderful sounds from Eren, barely muted by their kisses.

The sounds within their mouths loud and deafening to everything… Except for that damn phone that was going off again.

"Shit…" Levi cursed and sat up.

"No, no, no…" Eren pleaded with him and pulled on his arms.

"I have to answer it, Eren." Levi told him and grabbed at his phone. He looked at the caller ID, and sure enough, it was Erwin. That was no surprise.

He wasn't looking forward to this one bit.

"Hurry please…" Eren didn't appreciate this one bit. He didn't like having to be interrupted in the middle of this, but they didn't have a choice. Whatever it was from whoever it was, was obviously important.

Did it have to be right now though?

"What is it, Erwin?" Levi questioned gruffly once he answered. That probably wasn't the best way to answer a phone, especially while Erwin was mad at him, but he was suffering severely from a lack of blood to his brain.

Eren pouted beneath him, arms crossing over his chest and his lips taking up a terrible frown. He hated that Erwin had to call right at this moment, and why? Did Erwin have the power to read minds and he knew that they were doing this? Eren couldn't think up of any other excuse besides that one, and he wasn't going to try. All of his blood had rushed south, and as of right now, he needed release desperately.

Acting as if Levi wasn't on the phone, Eren grabbed at his belt again. His hands weren't as shaky this time around, so it was easier to undo the belt buckle and yank it open. When that was accomplished, he pulled at the button and pulled it loose, taking his time to see if he could tease the older man still on the phone. He pulled the zipper down, barely revealing black undergarments before Levi's hand grabbed at his wrist and stopped him entirely.

Eren thought rather highly of himself for a moment, thinking it was good that he'd managed some form of aggravation from the man, but when he looked up, he didn't see annoyance.

He saw fear.

Levi looked like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were wide, mouth parted, but not even cold breath left his lips. The color had drained from his face completely, and even though he was normally pale to begin with, this was a sickly look.

The grip around his wrist was tight, painful even. Eren had to yank his hands free to get rid of the aching grip that felt like it could break his wrist any second.

"Erwin, that's not…" Levi began, but he stopped. Eren could hear Erwin's voice on the other line, but he couldn't make out what it was being said. All he knew was that, whatever it was, it had Levi looking like he was about to vomit.

"Captain Levi…?" Eren asked quietly.

"Wait, no…" Levi tried again, but a voice interrupted him. His grey eyes darted over to Eren for a moment, looking shaken up, but he was trying to hide the fear. "Why…? Eren has nothing to do with this. Why do I need to bring him?" Eren perked up at the mention of his name.

What were they talking about? What was Erwin saying? What was it Eren had nothing to do with, but he needed to go somewhere?

"… Yes sir…" Levi's hand slowly fell from his ear, phone clutched between his fingers in a death grip that could crack the screen. Eren was rather surprised it hadn't broken yet.

"Captain, what's wrong?" Eren asked, figuring that the phone call was over. Levi looked down at the phone, eyes still with emotions Eren couldn't read, but he could see the older man still trying to school his face back to his expressionless norm. Whatever had been said over the phone was enough to shake him, to shake someone like Captain Levi Ackerman, and Eren wasn't sure if he should be terrified or not.

This was Captain Levi Ackerman after all. Mikasa's uncle nonetheless. The two were alike in so many ways, and Mikasa was just as tough. It took a lot to shake her, and it was obviously the same for the older man.

So what had been said to do this to him?

"Captain, what is it? What did Commander Erwin say?" Eren prompted him again and touched the back of his hand that had suddenly become cold.

"… My squad is dead…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I keep forgetting I can upload during the weekdays now. I was like, "I don't want to wait to upload this," But now I don't have to.
> 
> Imma go hide again.


	21. The Final Unknown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHH! It's been to long~! T^T For those of you who don't follow me on tumblr, I posted up why this was so late. However, a quick summary of that would be that I was going through serious testing that determined the fate of my license for work, but now it's over. ^^ I can breathe. I don't know what I got yet, but I don't think I failed (I keep saying this. I'm going to jinx myself).
> 
> Guess whose back! Back again-! e-e... Anyway, I have a new chapter for you guys. ^^ I have to say that I'm really surprised that you're still here. However, I might change that.
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: For mentions of rape, character death, depictions of violence and gore, and probably a few others I'm forgetting about. Sorry. ^^'
> 
> -Misty
> 
> I've got nothing that would match the tone of this fanfic today. e-e

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

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**Chapter 21: The Final Unknown**

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"I wish I could say they didn't suffer…"

Levi couldn't tear his eyes away from the frozen corpses he once called his team. He wanted to look away. He couldn't bear seeing them like this, and yet his eyes were fixated on them, as if he couldn't believe it.

Denial.

"Could you give a summary of their deaths please? I don't think we can handle the full details at the moment…" Erwin pleaded with the blond woman, hoping for some prevail. His eyes had gone dull and lifeless too, lackluster and dreary.

All of this was too much for their minds to comprehend. It was too much, and it all happened so fast. Levi couldn't help the pit of guilt and nausea rolling around in his stomach as his eyes looked at Petra's un-smiling face.

He never got the chance to say goodbye.

"Of course, sir…" Nanaba said wearily and walked over to the body closest to her. Gunther's body that was covered up with a thin material that wouldn't do well to keep a body warm, but he guessed that the warmth was no longer needed. "Gunther's death was very quick. He never even saw the attack coming."

"Any evidence from the attacker left at the scene?" Erwin asked.

"None that your men hadn't already found. I can't imagine it was easy though. It was a sharp knife that was used to cut a clean slice through his carotid artery. It was a quick death. He probably didn't feel much either. He would have been out cold in five to seven seconds, and dead in thirty."

"And there was no way we could have saved him?" Levi asked quietly.

"I'm afraid not sir…" Nanaba relayed somberly. "As you know, Eld was in a car accident that left him severed at the waist. However, the other person driving jumped out before the impact, at least that's what I read from the report. With the deaths of the rest of your squad, I can't imagine this being an accident…"

"I'm sure it wasn't." Erwin told her.

"Was there any way to save him?" Levi questioned, arms slowly lifting to cover his chest.

"… There might have been. However, Eld would have been paralyzed for life if the result was to be a positive outcome. I don't know about you, sir, but that's no way to live… Maybe this was for the best." The doctor lowered her eyes from Levi's, though he hadn't been looking at her. She couldn't look at him without feeling regret.

Yes, had they gotten to him sooner, he could have survived, but at what cost? The chance to never move again? Eld had a wife and kids. He would have rather died than not be able to take care of his kids. That was just the type of man he was.

"Ouluo suffered massive contusions to the head that caused hemorrhaging. Whoever attacked him beat him with a blunt, metal instrument, a bat or pipe, until the swelling in his brain eventually killed him." Nanaba continued on, eyes falling to the third body laid out on its slate.

"Was there any way we could have saved him?" The older man asked once again.

"… Yes sir… But only if we had gotten to him in time…" She hated speaking of this. She didn't know Levi's team like he did, but she knew them from late nights at the office going over details from a rape case or helping out in any way she could with anything that was needed. She knew that they were a good group of people not worthy of death, not like this anyway. What had they ever done to deserve that?

Nothing.

"And Petra…?" Erwin asked. "What about her?"

"… Sir, there's no way I can talk about her death easily… I'm sorry to say that she suffered the worst." Nanaba admitted painfully, her eyes falling to the floor. She didn't want to talk about this.

"I understand how you feel, Nanaba, but we need to know."

"… Yes sir," The woman took a deep breath in, preparing herself for the inevitable. There was no avoiding the truth. "Petra was bound in the air by her arms and legs pulled back behind her back. She was…" She paused.

"Go ahead and say it." Levi blurted out, but without the irritability Nanaba thought he would use. "Raped. She was raped. It doesn't change anything from saying it."

"I'm sorry… She was raped. There were no traces of fluids, but there were some hairs found. We're running the DNA through our database now to see if we come up with any matches."

"What killed her?" Erwin asked, trying to collect himself.

"After her assailant was done with her, he pushed his foot into her back until it broke her L1 through L5 vertebra. After that, well… That was all it took."

"You can be sure they used their foot?"

"Yes sir. There was an imprint in her back left by dirt. From the pictures we took, it seemed to be about a size nine men's shoe. We're trying to find any matches to the logo left in the dirt, but it was smudged. We can't promise any results." Nanaba explained while her eyes peered over to Levi.

She was waiting for that question.  _'Could she have been saved?'_  She expected it to come from him any moment, but the longer she waited, the more she realized it wasn't going to come.

Levi had his eyes set on her, a very strange expression on his face, if one were to call it that. His eyes looked dead; he looked heartbroken, and that much was enough to feel a stab of pain on her own. The great Captain Levi Ackerman, Humanities Strongest, was not the apathetic one everyone assumed he was.

Levi's hand reached out from his body, warm fingers moving to touch her cheek, but he stopped just short of the auburn strands of hair gracing her now pale cheeks. His hand hovered over the finger-shaped bruises on her neck and the red welts on her shoulders, wanting to burn the imprints away, but he couldn't.

He couldn't touch her. He wasn't allowed to anymore. Petra's body, as well as the others, was now evidence to their case, and he couldn't touch her. Not one little touch to the cheek, or a pat to her head after a hard day's work.

He couldn't touch her, because now she wasn't a human. Now she was just evidence.

"Levi…" Erwin spoke up, hoping it would do something. Levi's hand jolted back like he had touched fire, his grey eyes looking up at the Commander with a sense of morose dread. What was it now? "Nanaba, you said there was something left at each crime scene?" Erwin turned his attention back to the woman, head tilting only slightly to the side to look at her.

"Yes sir," Nanaba wandered off for a moment, going over to the nearest counter with a folder surrounded by test tubes and machines Levi would never know their uses of. Nanaba opened up the little folder and pulled out a small pouch. Inside the containments were unknown, not until she placed it in Erwin's hands anyway. "A patch of this was left at each place, not far from their bodies. This was the one left at Oulou's place."

"Hair…?" Erwin asked as he examined it.

"Yes, and each patch seems to be from the same head. I was going to run it through our system, but… Well, after what you guys told me of the situation, I figured you knew-"

"That's Arlert's fucking hair." Levi suddenly bit out when he got a good look at it.

Inside of the plastic baggy was blond hair, very similar to Erwin's and Nanaba's. What set it apart was the length of it, which was far longer than their own and slightly darker. The ends were frayed like it had been torn straight from the person's head, but it wasn't hard to guess whose it was.

"Are you sure?" Erwin asked.

"Of course I'm fucking sure. That's his Goddamn hair. That bastard took it off of him and left it there as a warning. He did this…" Levi looked back to the bodies of his former comrades, feeling a sudden burn of anger deep within him.

This was far worse than any anger he had ever felt towards Erwin before. This was far worse than what Erwin had done to him,  _obviously_ , but Erwin had done plenty of things to make him mad.

This was absolute disgust. This was hatred so painful it was turning his vision red.

"How did he do it though? They all died around the same times, about twelve in the afternoon." Nanaba told him.

"That fucker must have gotten hit men to do his dirty work. That would explain the multiple attacks at the same time."

"And if the one who attacked Eld was in that car accident, chances are he was hurt when he jumped out. There was no way he could rape Petra without problems." Erwin said.

"That motherfucker…" Levi wanted to slam his fist into the nearest wall, but he couldn't risk it. His finger still ached after it had been pulled from its joint; he didn't need to seriously break it.

"Captain, there isn't a doubt in your mind that this is Armin's?" Nanaba asked.

"Of course not. I bet if we asked Eren, he'd agree with me too. That's his hair, and it was left as a warning to us. He wants my kids back… But he's not getting them." Levi's fists clenched together until his nails dug into his palms, and by then the pain was starting register.

"What if he goes after someone again? What if it's Commander Erwin next time, or even Doctor Hanji?"

"We'll be ready. He's not hurting anyone else." Levi assured her and looked away. He needed to collect himself quickly, or he was going to lose it very fast.

"You're very right about that, Captain." Erwin agreed quietly while handing the plastic baggy back to Nanaba. "He's not getting to anyone else."

"Commander…?" Nanaba asked as she watched the man walk to the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" Levi asked with a gruff voice.

"I'm just getting Eren." Erwin responded calmly, like he wasn't admitting to something so serious.

"Are you insane? Eren can't see this!" Levi told him.

"If Eren truly thinks that his pimp is not as dangerous as he is, he's in for a rude awakening." His commander stated bluntly.

"Erwin, he's not mentally stable enough to see-!" Levi couldn't even finish his sentence. Erwin had already opened the door, and for fear of scaring Eren, Levi's mouth shut instantly.

"Eren, can you come in here please?" Erwin asked calmly, looking to the boy sitting in a nearby chair. Eren nodded his head and stood, eyes looking past the man and into the room the further he walked.

When he got in there, he didn't see the bodies at first. First he saw Nanaba looking away with regret and pain. He then saw Levi, who looked lost and tossed between yelling and walking forward to him. He couldn't be sure. However, he soon realized why Levi looked like that.

Levi had been trying to cover Eren's field of vision from the bodies laid out on the slates behind him, only thin sheets that looked more like paper coving them. His eyes landed on Petra's face, battered and bruised and pale, not like how she normally was. The split in her lip, the dried blood on her chin, the black eye now hollowed out by death.

That wasn't her, right? No, that couldn't have been her. Petra always had such a big, beautiful smile and such a warm tone in her voice. Her hair was always kept clean and neat and whatever makeup she wore was always nice and clean, just like everything else about her.

Who was this imposter? This corpse on the table that looked like her was not her. It couldn't have been her.

Levi had lied to him. That had to be it. This was all some terrible joke meant to scare him, wasn't it?

Wasn't it?

The scream that tore out from Eren's throat sounded like one that mimicked a person being murdered. The tears came quick with the realization of what he was looking at, that this all wasn't a lie and that he was really looking at their bodies, now lifeless.

He turned to leave the room, his head suddenly pounding and his heart aching. He couldn't look at this. He just couldn't. He couldn't even bear the thought of them being dead, but before he could make it out, arms were wrapped around his waist and pulling him back in.

"L-Let me go! Let me go!" Eren pleaded with the blond man holding him in place.

"Erwin-!" Levi began, but the man started talking before he could yell over him.

"If you think Armin is safe with him, then you're wrong. This is what he does, Eren, and if it can happen to them, it can happen to him too." Erwin told him without clemency. "Armin's hair was already left behind with each of them. He's being tortured and you aren't doing anything to help him."

"Stop it, please! Please stop!"

"He can do this to Armin, to Mikasa and to everyone else you care about. You aren't doing a single thing to stop it."

As it stood, the last time Eren had been held down like this, Levi just stood around. He watched as someone else took control of the situation, and he didn't want that to be the same thing to happen here.

He wasn't going to stand around again.

"Let him go, Erwin." Levi ordered in a low and utterly threatening voice. Erwin was sure he hadn't heard that tone from him since the two first met, but he knew what it meant.

That didn't mean that he was going to listen.

Levi scoffed and bolted forward to the two, his arms reaching out to grab at Eren's flailing wrists and hold onto them. He pulled, but Erwin's grip around the teen's waist was like a vice that wouldn't give with added pressure.

Levi didn't appreciate it either.

"Let him go!" He barked, and finally his grip relented. Eren jerked forward when free, falling into Levi's grasp to be safely held and protected. Levi even brought his head down against his shoulder to keep him from seeing anything, but it was too late. The damage had been done.

Eren suddenly pushed at Levi's chest and shoulders. He relaxed his grip to pull back and see why Eren had done this, but just as he did, the brunette covered his mouth and ran for the nearest sink. He barely made it in time before dinner from the night before came right back up and fell into the sink, his back bending and his eyes tearing up with pain. Levi came right back to his side though and placed a gentle hand on his back to rub back and forth.

There was nothing he could do about this. He hated that fact, but it was true. Eren was so mortified by the sight of their corpses that it had him puking up everything that could possibly be in his stomach, which wasn't much to begin with. His skin had taken on an extremely pale complexion tinted with green, obvious signs of his horror and sickness like he had seen a ghost. His eyes, when he was able to open them again, were fogged and clouded with too many things, tears beading at the corners of them and trailing down his cheeks.

His head was spinning, but his main focus was on them. On their bodies. On the fact that someone even as kind as Petra was dead.

"S-Sorry," He croaked once there was nothing left to vomit. He fell to his knees, his hand clutching at the countertop like it was a lifeline that turned his knuckles white. Levi knelt down beside him and wrapped his arms around the teen, pulling him back against his chest. He made sure to hide his face though; he didn't want Eren seeing their mutilated bodies.

"Shh, Eren..." Levi tried to sooth him, but there was just no chances of it.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Eren cried repeatedly, his face drenched with tears. "Not them! I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt!"

"Shush, Eren," Levi tried once more and wrapped his arms around his legs. He needed to get Eren out of this room and away from them.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't want them to die! I-I didn't- I couldn't-!" Eren stopped when he couldn't inhale right. He gasped and choked on something, but whether it was on his own spit or air, he wasn't too sure. Levi pressed the brunette's head into his chest, hoping he could help him relax somehow. He wasn't sure if it would do much, but it was all he could do.

"You can't protect him from this, Levi. Eren has to face the truth." Erwin told the man holding onto the kid. Levi hissed under his breath and covered Eren's ear with one hand. The other ear was pressed against his chest, safely and protected from his harsh words.

"Shut the fuck up…" Levi growled and lifted Eren in his arms. Erwin didn't try to stop him as Levi brushed past him to get the teen out of the room, and whether Levi was grateful for that or not he wasn't sure yet. He didn't care, and probably wouldn't for a while.

Right now, his main focus was getting Eren out of there.

* * *

The drive home had been shrouded in darkness. The rain had started up again above their heads, the only sound within the car being it pelting on his car. That, and Eren's tiny, quiet whimpers and apologies that he repeated like a prayer.

"I'm sorry… I'm so, so sorry… Petra… Gunther… I'm sorry…"

Levi's knuckles turned white against the steering wheel as he gripped it tighter. He wasn't sure what he wanted to do right now. Yell, scream, kick or hit things, bite his bottom lip or just let it sink further into the depths of his mind.

What was he supposed to do? He couldn't even open his mouth to talk let alone fully process this.

He wanted to talk to Eren. He needed to talk to him. He just had to say something, but what?

"Sorry… I'm sorry…" Eren's voice remained meek within the backseat.

There was nothing he could say to make this better.

* * *

The apartment was once again cold and quiet. The windows had been left open to air out the mucky smell of the room, but now he was regretting it entirely. It felt like every bit of a damp hell, and there was no avoiding it besides shutting the windows and turning up the heat again.

Eren walked in quietly, as quiet as a mouse with barely any sound in his step. Levi followed close behind and shut the door behind him, equally as quiet. Eren had never once been this quiet, and quiet just didn't work for him.

Had it always been this quiet in his place before Eren came around? Was this always what it was like? How did he ever live like this if that was the case?

"I'm going to go write my report…You should probably rest…" Levi suggest, his voice just barely above a whisper. Eren didn't move from his spot, only nodded his head without a word in silent agreement.

Just as Levi turned to leave for his room, he heard a thud from behind him. He turned to find the source of the sound, but he wasn't surprised to see it had only been Eren, who had fallen to the floor and leaned against the wall for leverage.

The tears were back. His bottom lip was being chewed apart between his teeth and his eyes had quickly become swollen from the overexertion of the day. He looked like a mess with his bangs stuck to his face and his clothes damp from the rain, but what was there more to expect?

Eren was a prideful kid, but he wasn't heartless. Even when he didn't always show it, he cared for Levi's squad. He cared for them in a way that was different, and maybe he too even looked up to Petra as a parental figure like she did when she looked at him as a son.

They wouldn't know now of course, because she was gone.

"I'm sorry…" He apologized again, green eyes beet red from crying looking up to the man still standing for something. For what, he wasn't even sure anymore. "C-Captain… I'm so sorry…"

"I know…" Levi uttered quietly. He leaned down to be at his eye level and held out a hand for him, offering a way up onto his shaking feet. Eren took it gratefully, but the tears fell faster because of the offer.

"I mean it… I-I never meant for anything to happen to anyone… Th-This is all my fault and I'm so sorry…"

"They knew the consequences to what would happen to them when joining this career. They knew there were risks within this field and they knew that this job posed a great risk on their lives. They went into this, protecting you, Mikasa and Armin, knowing very well that this could happen." Levi told him and helped Eren become steady on his feet before letting him go. "It could have happened with any other case. It just happened to be this one."

"B-But I… I'm sorry…" Eren couldn't seem to get it through his head. Levi couldn't say that he had nothing to do with this, because that wasn't true. It had everything to do with him, but this wasn't his fault. Eren didn't tell his pimp where they were and at what times. He never wanted them dead, so what would be the point in that?

Their pimp was watching them. He knew who Eren had grown closest to, and by knowing that, he knew which affected him greatest, and which would be the greatest hit to their case. Petra's gruesome death only proved it. This was his way of telling Eren that he still owned him, that Eren still belonged to him, and because of that, Eren was given a painful reminder of the situation.

There was no escaping this.

"Go to bed, Eren…" Levi told him before turning away again.

"Captain…" Eren called after him, but Levi kept walking despite himself. He kept walking away, hearing Eren's apologies and pleas for him to return and wishing he would just stop. It didn't go away until he was safely hidden away in his room, but even then, he thought he could still hear Eren whimpering and crying in the hallway. He couldn't tell; he wasn't sure if it was his mind playing them on repeat or him really crying.

What was he doing? Why was he walking away like this? Eren was going to lose his mind like this, and Levi was walking away? He was just leaving him behind? Yes, he lost people close to him too, but this had more of an impact on Eren than it did him, because this went deeper with fear into his mind than it did Levi's.

So why wasn't he helping him onto his feet again? Why wasn't he helping Eren calm down and why wasn't he consoling him?

There was nothing they could do about the death of his squad. That was done, over with, and it was permanent. They knew that, but in moments like this, with someone like Eren, people usually wanted to be with family or friends, to find comfort in their words, cry off the pain, and slowly build themselves back up.

Why wasn't he doing that then? Why wasn't he giving Eren the strength he needed to get back up again?

He was human too. That was the only excuse to why he was acting like this. His squad was dead, and with the threat of their own deaths being held over their heads, it was too much to handle all at once.

He just needed a moment. He needed a moment to collect his thoughts, calm himself down, and pick himself back up. He couldn't be weak, not when he had to be Eren's only hope, but he just needed a few moments to himself.

He wasn't mad at Eren. No, that wasn't it. He was livid with their pimp though, and the bastards who dared to touch his squad. If he went out there like this and lost it in front of Eren? No, he couldn't think of that outcome.

He just had to get some time to himself to relax.


	22. Answers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Takes in a big breath* TRIGGER WARNINGS: Mentions of incest (Even though they aren't really related), mentions of child abuse, mentions of child rape, gore and violence, abuse of alcohol.
> 
> Guys, this is a heavy chapter. I'm surprised you're still here after the last chapter, but this one is heavy on some details (It'll get worse in later chapters). I know I'm even forgetting a few triggers, but just be forewarned now. I even had some troubles with things myself, even when none of this is based on personal experience. It's not an easy chapter, so be ready.
> 
> Otherwise, enjoy. ^^'
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 22: Answers**

* * *

A couple of moments turned into a couple of minutes, and a couple of minutes turned into an hour. An hour turned into a few hours.

Levi stared up at his ceiling mindlessly, listening to his wall clock tick away aimlessly. He really wasn't thinking of much; at first he figured he'd do this to calm down, but now he was just sitting on his bed, letting time go by.

Death was a strange thing. He figured that out long ago, but it was still strange. Life went by in years that only seemed to tick away by minutes, and at any point in time a person could be gone just like that. He learned that a long time ago, but he also learned to cherish what he had in life while he had it.

The death of his squad happened so quickly. None of them ever saw it coming, but the threat was always there. It could have happened at a simple traffic stop where someone could pull out a gun and shoot a cop. That was just how it was. That's how it always was.

They knew the consequences to their jobs, the risks it held, but even then, the idea that it could happen to even them was still shocking. Sometimes people believed nothing could happen to them and that they were immune to it, but that wasn't true.

The deaths of all of them just proved it.

Levi knew better then to let this get to him, but it wasn't possible. None of them, not even Gunther deserved what they got. Especially Petra. Seeing their faces, normally so happy with smiles spreading their cheeks (Ouluo was sometimes an exception), pale and dead wasn't right. It didn't look right on them. Not at all.

Levi sighed.

Sitting here contemplating life wasn't going to do him any good. It was only going to make things worse, and he had to focus on other important things.

Like Eren.

He'd been so dumb as to leave the kid behind, ignoring Eren's pitiful calls for him to return all for his selfish behavior. It didn't matter if this was a loss to him; Eren's sanity and security were most important. He'd been stupid enough to believe for a moment that this situation didn't really count.

What time was it now? How long had been loathing in his own self that he'd ignored what was most important?

Looking over to the clock, Levi squinted his eyes within the dark to read the time. Just as his eyes glided over the neon numbers, his mind clicked into place that it was dark along with it.

Ten fifteen. How did he let time get away from him like this?

Levi groaned before pushing himself off of the bed. He needed to get to Eren, and just as that thought crossed his mind for the umpteenth time that night, a loud crash reverberated from within his apartment.

Levi all but jumped, the sound of Eren's screaming kicking his ass into gear and getting him out. He didn't even care if he had a weapon with him or not. He'd fight to the death if it meant protecting Eren.

However, it didn't seem to be needed. Eren was alone in his living room, and the sound of him screaming had been his own doing, much like the dining table chair shattered against his wall. Behind it were a bunch of holes, no doubt from the impact of the chair into the wall, and with it came an idea of how this happened.

Eren's actions were repeated. With another scream, Eren picked up the second chair lined up and tossed it within the same direction. It shattered just like the first against the wall, this time knocking down a framed picture that had been hanging nearby.

"Eren…!" Levi yelled over his screaming. Eren picked up another chair, ready to throw it, but Levi ran up to him quickly enough and grabbed at his waist.

"Let me go!" Eren screamed, the wooden seat falling from his hands so he could pull at Levi's arms. His legs kicked back into the older man's, and a few times he threw his head back, but if he thought that could hurt someone like Levi, he was sadly mistaken.

"Knock it off!" Levi reprimanded him and dropped him onto the floor. Their air left the brunette in the impact, but it didn't kick out his fighting spirit.

"Let me go! I hate this! I hate it!" Eren cried as he fought within Levi's firm grasp. Levi readjusted his grip so that Eren's arms were pinned behind his back, keeping him from hurting himself or him. He seemed to be in that mental state to do that right now, and when his grey eyes drifted over to the broken bottle of wine, it made sense.

Where and when he got it, Levi didn't even know, but he had been drinking. That was probably what was impairing his better judgment and causing him to throw such a nasty fit. To what degree he had been drinking, or if he was even drunk, Levi wasn't sure, but it was there all the same running through his system.

"Stop it, you fucking brat! Calm down!"

"No!" Eren hissed and swung his legs at him. Levi got a few good jabs to his lower back, but it was nothing.

He swore it was like dealing with the Eren from a week ago. This spitfire brat with an attitude to boot that caused all of this trouble was back, and for what?

"Eren, I swear to God, if you don't calm down-!"

"I don't wanna go…!" Eren cried, but his struggling stopped. His head fell against the wooden floor with a heavy thud, tears now falling from his eyes as he tried to calm himself down. He knew what Levi was getting at, where his sentence had been going. He knew that Levi was going to have him taken away. To Maria's? To a prison cell?

He didn't want to go anywhere. He wanted to stay here with him.

"Then calm the fuck down." Levi growled, his hands releasing his wrists. Eren's hands fell by his head, covering his face to hide his shameful tears. Levi probably thought he was just a giant baby right now. He was crying over everything, and yet here he was as stoic as ever. Levi had lost his squad and he had yet to shed a tear, at least in front of him.

"I-I'm sorry…" Eren cried into his palms.

"It's okay, Eren… It's okay." Levi pulled Eren to sit, up, helping him lean against the couch to rest.

"It's not okay!" The brunette bit out and pushed his hands away. "It's not okay, and it hasn't been for years!"

"Eren-!"

"It's all my fault!" Eren covered his head with his arms and ducked his face behind his knees, hoping to hide himself.

"It's not your fault, Eren! You didn't do this to them!"

"I should have said something! I should have done something! It's my fault and it always has been! I'm so stupid and weak and I can't do anything to save anyone!"

"Eren…!" Levi grabbed at his arms and pulled, feeling the strain in his muscles as he put up a miniscule fight. "You can't put this over your head like that! You're going to make yourself sick!"

"I deserve it!" Eren kept his head low. He couldn't bear to look the man in the eyes. "After all I've done to them, to Mikasa and Armin, I-I can't even-!"

"What do you mean after what you've done to them?" Levi asked, trying to catch a glimpse of Eren's face. There was a low whine from the brunette's throat, hesitating greatly and fearing the actual answer.

He couldn't say it. He just couldn't. Admitting it would mean admitting it happened, and he didn't even want to remember it let alone admit it happened.

He couldn't do it.

"No…"

"Eren…" Levi began, pieces of the puzzle starting to click together in his head. Eren seemed to notice the sudden shift, like he knew that Levi was putting it together bit by bit. "… Did you sleep with Mikasa?"

Eren's head tilted back into the couch, his cheeks and chin drenched in his tears and bangs soaked and sticking to his skin. A sound of pain let him, bit back by his bottom lip caught in between in teeth.

"I didn't want to! He said he'd kill Armin if I didn't!" He admitted, his breathing heavy.

"Who said they would? Eren, who is  _he_?" Levi asked, but the question seemed to go over his head.

"H-He made me do it to Armin too… Said he'd hurt M-Mikasa if I didn't…" Levi stayed quiet for a moment, trying to let this information process properly within his head, but it wasn't easy.

This story of theirs was just getting worse and worse. The more he looked into it, the more he found he didn't want to know. The more he found hating the knowledge of and the more he felt the need to punch out a wall.

What more could this man possibly do to them?

"I-It hurt them so much and I wasn't allowed to stop… I-I couldn't-"

"Eren, that wasn't you though. I'm sure they know that." Levi told him.

"It's all my fault though. H-Had I done something, said something I-I could have-!"

"Eren, stop." Levi pulled on Eren's arms again, hoping to have the teen look at him. "There was nothing you could do. You survived, and that's all that matters." He told him.

It was the truth. In situations like that, sometimes it was best to give in. If it meant you could live another day, it was the best decision. Fighting back could only give you a few small responses, or death. He knew that from personal experiences. The repercussions of it, the aftermath of dealing with what had happened was hell, but he knew as well from personal experiences that it did heal.

It never went away; like any scar, it was a permanent reminder. However, it faded. It meant less and less over time, and at times you'd forget the scar was even there.

If anything, Eren had lived another day and lived to tell the tale. If he could get anything out of this, Levi would make sure of it.

"Eren... Please, tell me what happened..." Levi was begging, and he didn't give a shit who heard. This was a dire situation that needed to be taken seriously.

"... When..." Eren began, but stopped. He covered his head, his fingers threading through his hair in discomfort.

"When what...?"

"After Mikasa turned eighteen... H-He took her somewhere... She told me... That he told her that it was some kind of 'initiation'... T-That there were five other guys there with her..."

Levi's eyes widened, his blood running cold through his veins. His heart ached, because he didn't need to be told anything more to know what happened after that.

_He knew._

"A-After that, she got pregnant... And we didn't know who the father was... A-And he... He beat her... Kept kicking her stomach..."

Tears continued to slip from Eren's glassy eyes, falling relentlessly down his cheeks and chin until they dropped to the ground between his legs. Levi leaned forward, pressing a hand into his cheek and cutting the flow of tears on his skin.

"She was in so much pain that night... Kept begging for us to kill her... Until it c-came out... It didn't even look like a b-baby..."

"Okay, Eren... Okay, I get it..." Levi moved forward, his arms pushing Eren's hands away from his head so he could hold him close. Eren stayed limp in his arms, his head against his shoulder and his tears soaking through Levi's shirt.

"No..." Eren mumbled and moved away. Levi sat back to allow Eren space, but he kept his hand against the kid's lanky arms, trying to sooth him as best as he could.

"What happened, Eren?"

"W-When I turned eighteen... He took me there too... And the same thing happened to me..."

"Eren..." Levi spoke his name like it was a warning.

"I-I couldn't move. They wouldn't let go of me. I-I tried fighting, but they were bigger than me, and they had guns, and I-!"

"Stop, Eren." Levi pulled Eren close again.

He didn't want these memories resurfacing. He didn't care how many months ago this happened. Eren was supposed to be healing, and that was all that was supposed to happen.

It was disgusting. It truly was.

Why would anyone do this to a child?

"Armin turned eighteen a week ago... Oh God, I promised I'd be there... Promised I'd make him forget whatever happened to him... W-When I last talked to him, he said that the same thing had been set up for him, and I…"

"For when…?" Levi asked him.

"I can't-"

"Eren,  _when?_ " Levi dropped his voice to show how serious he was. If they didn't get answers now, Armin's life would be ruined.

"F-For tomorrow…" Eren admitted, his head dropping against his knees while his tears drenched the edges of his bangs.

Now Levi understood why Eren had panicked so badly earlier. When he woke up, when he thought that he had missed more time than what he had, it was because he thought he had blacked out through this "initiation" that the man was going to put Armin through. He'd been worried that he missed it, missed saving Armin, and missed being there for him like he promised.

"What time…? Did he tell you?"

"Seven… Seven in the evening…"

"We aren't going to let it happen, Eren." Levi told him, pulling back enough to look the kid in the face. "We'll find him, and we are going to stop your pimp from doing this to him."

"I... Had been trying to save money for weeks... So I could do something for him... But I only saved seventeen dollars by the end of it... I-I didn't have enough to try and hide him, o-or to get a bus and run..."

"Eren, don't you dare pin this on yourself." Levi warned him while looking him in the eye, but Eren had his eyes averted to the ground. "You didn't do anything to deserve what happened to you. Armin doesn't deserve it, and you have done everything you can for him and Mikasa. Don't you dare do this to yourself."

"What do I do then, Levi...? What...? Armin's going to get gang-raped, and I'm not there to make it better... I can't do anything for him, because I'm weak...!" Eren's voice rose, cracking at the higher pitch. Levi's wiped at the teen's eyes, trying to clean him up a little, but it didn't do much.

"No, you aren't weak, Eren. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for..." The older man assured. "You're still here, aren't you?"

He was alive, and that was all that mattered.

"I'm weak..." Eren repeated. Levi leaned against his heels, hands smoothing down Eren's arms until he could hold his hands.

"... Eren, did your pimp take you and Mikasa to the same place?" Levi asked. There was a long, quiet moment of hesitation before Eren nodded his head, his hands moving to cover his face. "Where did he take you, Eren? If he took both of you there, then he may take Armin there too."

"No..."

"Eren, we've got less than twenty-four hours to save Armin. If you know where it is, we can find him and stop this from happening."

"Without Mikasa and I there, he may take Armin somewhere else..." Eren mumbled.

"Or he may take Armin there and then we run the risk of him being raped. Eren, where did he take you?" Levi's voice rose, his anger showing more so when Eren shook his head.

What was wrong with this kid? Why wouldn't he just admit it? How brainwashed was he to let his childhood friend be gang-raped by a bunch of pedophiles?

"I-I can't..."

"Eren,  _you can_." Levi assured.

"No," Eren said and shook his head.

"So what does this mean? You're just going to let Armin be raped? You're just going to let him cry and beg for it all to stop?" Levi asked, knowing the words were harsh, but they needed to be said.

"Stop it..." Eren begged, leaning further into the couch.

"Eren, if they do it wrong, Armin could die! He'll die all alone, and you'll have to live your life knowing you had the opportunity to save him and didn't do a Goddamn thing!"

"Stop it! Please stop!"

"Why, Eren? Why won't you tell me? Why are you so scared of telling me?"

"I can't..." Eren leaned down, his head hiding between his legs. "I can't betray my family..."

The words didn't make sense to him.

"Betray your family? You wouldn't be betraying him, Eren! You'd be saving his life!"

"You don't understand!" Eren yelled from behind his arms.

"You're right, I don't, but let me ask you something. Who do you love more, Eren? Do you love your Goddamn pimp more than Armin?" Levi fisted the collar of Eren's shirt into his hand, forcing the kid's eyes on him. "Do you love a man who has ruined every aspect of your teenage years, or do you love the kid who stuck with you through thick and thin and truly cares about you? Who do you love more, Eren?"

He couldn't breathe properly; his nose was congested from crying so much. His eyes were swollen, red, and glassy, his cheeks stained with the tears that had drenched his skin, but Levi wasn't fooled.

He saw the furious rebellion within those green eyes. He saw the determination in them, the fight to prove him wrong that was being fueled by this argument.

Levi knew better.

"Rose Hall..." Eren bit out. Levi released his grip, letting Eren fix his shirt before the kid could cover his head again with his hands.

"What...?"

"Rose Hall... He took us to Rose Hall..." Eren muttered from behind his arms.

"That place downtown, right? That's a studio owned by that big porn company."

"There's a basement there that can be rented out to smaller companies looking for studios... He'll rent it out for a night..."

"And you're sure it's tomorrow at seven?" Levi asked, standing up beside Eren.

"He might have changed it if he knows Armin told us! He may have done it already, or at a different place! We may be too late already!" Eren panicked while grabbing Levi's pant leg.

"We can't be too sure of that." Levi said and pulled out his phone. "We have something to work off of now."

"A-Are you going to tell Commander Erwin...?" Eren asked hesitantly.

"Yes," Levi said as he began dialing. He looked down at Eren, and for the first time in a while, Levi saw true horror in those green eyes of his.

He was terrified by what was about to happen.

"Captain Levi..."

"Just stay here, Eren. I'll be right back after this call, okay?" Levi assured. Eren slowly released his pant leg, his head nodding in understanding. He went back to hiding his head between his arms and legs, and as Levi left the room to give him some privacy, he could hear sobs destroying the brunette.

Levi was quick to dial Erwin's number. He didn't care how late it was; the man needed to answer, or Levi would go to his house and wake him up that way.

One ring, two, three rings-

 _"... H-Hello...?"_  A tired voice greeted him on the other line.

"Erwin, its Levi." Levi said.

 _"I knew that by your caller ID. It's late, Levi. What are you thinking calling right now?"_  Levi could hear shuffling from the other side, a small, timid voice asking what was wrong. It sounded like Erwin's wife, and Erwin assured her everything was okay before bringing his attention back to Levi.

"It's about Armin," Levi responded.

 _"Armin...? Did Eren tell you where he is?"_ Erwin suddenly sounded awake and alert, or more than that for someone who had been woken up.

"No, but he said he might know where he's going. I'm calling in backup, Erwin. If we don't do anything, that kid is going to get gang-raped."

 _"Where and when, Levi...? I'll call Hanji and Moblit and get them there_."

"Rose Hall, that fucking porn studio downtown. Eren said that he and Mikasa were taken there for the same reasons just after turning eighteen. We can't let this happen to him, Erwin."

 _"And we won't."_  Erwin assured, and the line went dead quickly.


	23. Shoot to Kill

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys. No updates for a while... Because I'm going to Otakon! :D Knowing me I'll be writing in my downtime though. X'D But anyway, Otakon ish this weekend and I'm so super excited for it! Which is why it might be some time for an update. I'm not saying months, but probably nothing next week? At least not for this. The Change You Wish to See will probably since half of that is done. ^^
> 
> Of course... TRIGGER WARNINGS! For attempted rape, abuse, mentions of and alcohol abuse, violence, ect... Another heavy chapter. It gets worse from here! Woohoo!
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Hero
> 
> By: Skillet

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 23: Shoot to Kill**

* * *

Eren's green eyes were frantic as he tried to keep up with the sudden huddle around him. Just like him, everyone around him was in an anxious flurry of getting together.

Guns were loaded. Bullet proof vests were donned. Men and woman alike were prepared, ready and willing to risk their lives.

He only recognized Commander Erwin, Captain Levi, Marlow and Mike (He soon realized who they were the moment they walked into the room). The rest were others from other squads.

Levi had said he was bringing in help, and now a new group of people stood before him, more threatening that Levi's squad had been.

The first man he'd seen was a man who went by the name of Keith Shadis. He was a bald man with hallow eyes, but a deep voice and a terrible stare that could have even the strongest running back to their mommies. He stood an easy six foot two, towering with Erwin in the clouds, and even having the audacity to stare Levi down. Or was that his usual expression?

The next was an older gentlemen by the name of Pixis. That was all Eren had picked up and said before nearly calling him pixie. Yet again he was another bald man, though he was older. He looked like a war veteran if Eren were being honest with himself. He drank like a retired clown however. He had his alcohol stashed away in a canteen hanging off of his belt, and the smell that permeated off of him was nauseating, even to Eren, who was still reeling from the alcohol he had been drinking earlier.

Next to them was a man named Nile Dawk. He was younger than the previous two, and honestly, he was a scrawny man with a frigid look about him. He didn't look ready for this at all.

Standing beside the two of them was Pixis's escort squad, though they looked ready to kill. He was surprised by this turn of people, the first he saw being a man by the name of Dita Ness. He was a rather happy looking man for the situation they were presented with, a bandana donned around his head and a very heavy jacket on. Standing next to him was Kitts Woerman, another scared, whining looking man with hallow eyes and a beard that looked like it was in need of a good bath.

Eren pretended to ignore the way Levi was cringing at him.

With them was Ian Dietrich, who didn't seem to like any of them in the least. Eren figured that he didn't like them, because they were higher in the rankings than he was. He looked like that type of man who would have that attitude, but who was he to judge? Not many would guess that the brunette's occupation as of a week ago was being a prostitute.

The last was Anka Rheinberger. She was the only female on the team, a tiny thing who looked like a child compared to all of these tall men around her. However, if she was with them, there had to be a reason for it. Eren had heard of Pixis's team on the news, of them and their missions. None of them were ever left out of the loop, and he had heard Anka's name come about on previous occasions.

She wasn't to be messed with.

There were more than that, but these were the ones whose names stuck out the most. These were the only people he could remember, and for specific reasons. There were too many others around for him to pick up and remember, his mind fuzzy, clouded, and reeling.

Maybe he had drank more than he thought he did? He thought he had only taken a few slips, but that could have been wrong. He'd never felt like this when it came to alcohol, at least not since he first started drinking it. Was it because it had been a while since he last bothered drinking?

"Eren," Levi spoke up, grabbing his attention. Eren looked up just as the older man kneeled down in front of him. Just like the rest, he too was wearing a bullet proof vest, his gun hooked against his hip within its holster. His expression was weary, but stoic. He wasn't going to break right now in front of him, and Eren couldn't have been more grateful.

"Yes…?"

"Are you okay?" Levi asked and set a hand down on his knee.

"… No." He couldn't answer yes even if he wanted to.

No, he wasn't okay, and there was nothing he could do. Looking up at the clock now, it was quarter to six. They had almost an hour and a half before Armin was supposed to be at Rose Hall, and what if they didn't make it? What if they were too late? What if this was just a giant ambush and they were walking into a trap?

No, he wasn't okay. He wasn't okay, and he wasn't going to be okay until Armin and the team had returned safely and Armin was safe in his arms.

"Eren, I don't usually say stuff like this when I don't know the outcome, but I'm promising you right now that everything will be okay." Levi told him softly.

"How do you know?" Eren asked.

"Because I don't want to see you like this again." Levi picked up his hand and squeezed it, offering minimal reassurance. "I can't stop you from worrying, and I won't try, but have some faith in me. Alright, kid?"

"… Okay…" Eren nodded his head and squeezed the hand wrapped tightly around his. It was all he could do to stay grounded.

"Eren…!" The brunette lifted his head when he heard the familiar voice of his sister, but he didn't even get the chance to spot her before she had her arms around him, nearly knocking him off of the bench he sat on.

She wasn't alone. Following close behind were Hanji and Erwin, both looking very worried over the situation. Well, Hanji was. Erwin looked ready for a battle.

"Are you okay, Mikasa?" Levi asked, watching Eren simply slump against her shoulder when she pulled away to sit beside him.

"Not really… No." She answered and shook her head. She was just as worried about this as Eren was, even when it didn't show as well.

"It's going to be okay." Levi assured her. "I mean it. I'll get Armin back safely, okay?"

"… Come back safe too," Mikasa said softly, her eyes softening to show her concern.

"Oh come on. I'm Levi Ackerman. When have you ever seen your uncle be taken down?" The older man lightly joked, noticing the smile that pulled on Eren's lips at the sarcasm.

"Just be careful. These guys… They're scary…" She admittedly weakly, as if admitting her weakness in front of Eren and Levi was a sin greater than anything else.

"I don't doubt they are."

"Do you know if you both dealt with the same men?" Hanji asked as she sat down beside the two. It was then that Levi noticed the small device in her hand.

"More or less…" Eren responded quietly.

"How so…?" Hanji asked.

"Just a few people… Had some things about them that were similar."

"At least one guy had a tattoo on his neck..." Mikasa spoke up. "Of some sort of snake or serpent."

"So these were similar men?" Erwin asked.

"Eren, can you do me a favor?" Hanji asked calmly and held up the device in her hand. "This is a breathalyzer. Can you blow in it for me?"

Without a proper response, Eren's head lulled to the side and his lips parted. Hanji was careful to place it to his lips before Eren did as instructed, blowing inside the nozzle quickly and then looking away like he hadn't done it. Levi watched with careful eyes as Hanji looked over the screen, reading the numbers that took place over the LCD screen. She looked up to Erwin with a certain look, though Levi didn't know what it meant. All he knew was that neither of them seemed to approve of what is was they were looking at.

"What is it?" Levi asked, eyes trying to see the numbers on the screen.

"Point zero nine. It's above the legal limit..." Hanji admitted regretfully.

"I'm sorry…" Eren replied.

"We can't worry too much about it now. What matters is getting Armin back." Erwin told him, his blue eyes shifting to Levi.

"And we will…" He quietly agreed with him.

"Levi," Erwin said in a stern tone. The man stood up, as if preparing for some sort of serious lecture. He waited for it, but instead of what he assumed, Erwin reached into his harness and pulled out a gun. It was a gun like Levi's, with the exception of a clip loaded with real bullets inside of it. "Take it."

"What's this for?" Levi asked as he took the weapon.

"If Eren and Mikasa are right, and the men from before are just as armed as this time, we aren't playing games." Erwin reached for the gun in his hand, and without taking it, flipped the safety off. "If they point a gun at us, at Armin, it doesn't matter. If you shoot, you shoot to kill."

"Yes sir." He had no problems agreeing with him.

"Alright, let's move out! I want all of us there! Remember your positions! We don't move until we know Armin is in the building!" Erwin asserted to the men and woman around them. There was a large, agreeing holler of voices around them before the hustle of squads became more hectic. Everyone was prepared. Now, it was just a matter of getting there and waiting.

"Hanji, take Eren and Mikasa back to the lounge. Keep them calm and keep them safe." Levi told the woman.

"Got it," She said before wrapping her arms around Mikasa's shoulders. "Come on, guys. We've got some food here you can have and we can watch some TV to keep your minds occupied."

"It won't work…" Mikasa quietly said as she was helped onto her feet. "Come back…" She whispered, only meant for Levi to hear as she walked by.

"I will." He said equally as quiet. "Go on, Eren."

"Captain…" Eren mumbled.

"Go. Hanji will take care of you." Levi told him. Eren stood up, albeit woozy with the urge to vomit running through his mind. "You may want to stay near the bathroom." He reminded him when he saw his footsteps waver.

"I will…" Eren said in a hushed tone and looked up at him with hazed eyes.

"Go on, Eren." Levi told him, trying to be as level headed as possible while still sounding stern. The look in Eren's green eyes was odd though. It didn't make sense, yet he had seen it before.

"Captain…" Eren said softly.

"What…?" Levi asked. Only a second after the question left his lips, hands were holding at his shoulders, and lips were pressed into his own.

His grey eyes widened in shock, and for once he wasn't in the right frame of mind to mask it with apathy. Those green eyes were closed peacefully despite the situation, his face so close that Levi could see the dusting of pink on normally tan cheeks. He looked so calm, so relaxed, yet his hands were shaking with a grip that bordered painful along his arms.

He could hear people from behind him fall silent. He mentally cursed himself, because he didn't care who else saw this. However, he cared that Erwin could see it, and he knew the man was standing behind him still, watching this with utter shock and possible anger. He could even feel his eyes burning holes into his back.

"Eren," Hanji called out to him, having seen the action and hoping she could stop it.

Eren's lips left his own, his eyes opening to look at him closely.

"Come back safe…" Eren whispered before turning away to go with Hanji. Levi looked up at the woman to see a worried glance cast in his direction before she pulled the two teens out of the room and to the lounge.

"Levi." Erwin's voice was heavy and angry, mixed with some form of hurt.

Oh how Levi wished he could just go with them.

"Yes sir…?"

"In my office. Now." It wasn't a question or a suggestion. It was an order.

"We're wasting time-"

"Now!" Erwin was having none of it. Levi followed gingerly behind him as they paced to his office. The door slammed behind him, barely hitting Levi as he rushed into the room. "What the hell was that?" Erwin asked him, his usual calm and relaxed demeanor gone.

"I don't know…" He answered weakly.

"What do you mean you  _'don't know'?_  How could you not know what that was, Levi?"

"I don't know!" Levi said with exasperation. "He's drunk! He's not aware of what he's doing!"

"He's not that drunk, Levi. He's still relatively sober enough to know of his actions and apologize for them." The man said, his voicing dropping into deeper territories.

"He's not thinking clearly! Armin's life is in danger and he's not level headed enough to make rash decisions!"

"Stop making up excuses for him, Captain!" Erwin yelled over him, voice booming and threatening. Levi flinched at the tone of it, recoiling from his argument to let himself lose. There was just no point in fighting this. "After this mission is over, Eren will be staying with Hanji."

"Commander Erw-!"

"That is enough, Levi!" Once again, Levi recoiled from the tone of his voice. "You're growing too attached to him and it's reflecting greatly on your work. I won't have this effect the case any longer. This is not a suggestion. It's an order. Now get out and join the others before I have you turning in your badge."

He couldn't fight it. There would be no point in it if he tried. All that would end with is him jobless and never knowing how this case would end, and he needed to see this to the end. He needed to make sure he kept them safe.

"… Yes sir…" He growled before turning to leave.

* * *

7:01 p.m.

The undercover squad cars were positioned strategically within a five block radius. They couldn't arouse suspicions, so it was left to multiple parties sitting within the cars, just waiting. That was all they could do.

Pixis's escort squad was in a van three blocks down. Marlow, Erwin and Nile were in a car not far off, fast food with them to throw off any questioning eyes. Levi was with Mike, sitting in a car just outside of Rose Hall, the notorious building for a massively growing porn industry. Porn had never been a very entertaining thing, in Levi's honest opinion, but it must have been as big as everyone says judging on the size of the building.

The building was immaculate in its size and presence; its whole structure took up an entire block on its own. It was clean (Levi knew that wasn't the same on the inside), with freshly painted walls and a well-kept garden despite the city around them. He found it funny that people who had sex for a living, an act that was a very dirty route, still managed to keep a healthy air about them.

Eren and his niece were not of these people of course.

"Do you think he's late?" Levi asked, eyes looking over to Mike in the seat next to him without turning his head. The man grunted in response, but he couldn't be sure if that was a positive or negative answer. Mike was never one for words.

Levi sighed as he sat back in his seat. This was absolute torture, and they had no idea if Armin was even in there or not. He didn't trust what anyone in there said, because he didn't know if anyone who worked there was actually affiliated with their pimp or not. The manager had said no one of that nature had walked in, yet how could they trust him? Mikasa and Eren had been affected greatly because of this place, and yet the man knew they were there and let it happen. He had been sworn into secrecy and was being watched, so there was no way he could contact their pimp if he was in on this, but there was no saying.

No one knew anything right now. They were blind, in the dark, and completely lost as to where the situation was right now.

The radios had been quiet too. Erwin had instructed to radio in if they had seen or heard anything important, but it had been a quiet fifteen minutes, and now the time was ticking past the time Armin was supposed to be there.

From what Eren had said and the minimal time they had seen each other, Armin seemed like the type of person who didn't like to keep people waiting. He was too kind and polite to do that, so what was his reasoning for being late now? He could only hope Armin had found a way out. Even if it meant they had lost him again, if Armin was safe, then that was all that mattered.

"You think he's in there right now?" Levi spoke up and asked. Another grunt was his response, and Levi was reminded as to why they didn't pair up often for missions. It was because Levi acted with words and actions. Mike was just actions. It wasn't always a bad thing, but at a time like this where he needed to keep his thoughts collected and couldn't, a little talking could always be of use. That or some form of entertainment.

"He could be in there right now, and we're just sitting here twiddling our thumbs waiting for absolutely nothing." He remarked coldly, even though he hated the idea of it. "But they did a sweep of the basement beforehand and nobody was there…" He added.

This was killing him. It really was. He hated sitting by and doing nothing. He hated just waiting. He was never a very patient person to begin with, but this was overdoing it.

"He's going to get into trouble…" Mike suddenly spoke up.

"Huh…?" Levi questioned, having not been paying attention to the man when he figured he wasn't going to get a response.

"Eren. He's going to be in trouble for being drunk like that."

"Erwin will take care of it." Levi waved him off.

"He can't take care of his confession. Because he was drunk, what Eren admitted will no longer stand in court. It won't count anymore."

"What?" Levi sat up in his seat and questioned, but the conversation died the moment the radio went off.

" _We've got something."_ Sounded Anka's voice from her end.

" _What is it?"_  Erwin's voice questioned to them.

" _I see it too."_  Said Shadis, who was at the standpoint in a restaurant about two blocks away.

"What is it? What do you see?" Levi picked up his radio and asked.

" _We've got someone walking down the street with a large, grey, button up coat and a pair of extremely short shorts on. They've got knee high heels on too. I can't see their face, but there's some blond hair sticking out of the hood."_ Shadis spoke.  _"This could be just a girl."_

"What idiot would walk around like that outside in the middle of November?" Levi asked into the receiver. "Can you make out the details of the boots?"

" _I'm not a shoe person."_  Keith said.

" _Up to his mid thighs, laced with black laces and lined with dark brown leather."_ Anka spoke up. _"The heels are about four inches long."_

Levi thought back to the first night he had seen Armin. He remembered what he had been wearing, which sounded very similar to this person's appearance. He remembered the boots too. It had been dark, so colors were something he couldn't see. However, he remembered where the linings ended on him, and how much of a height difference he had with them on next to Eren. Armin had been described as short without them on, just about an inch taller than Levi, so the added height made up for the difference.

"That sounds about right." Levi uttered and looked to Mike, who nodded his head for conformation. He had seen Armin up close, getting a better detailing of him than he had.

" _Commander, the person is heading to the building. Should we follow them?"_

" _Not yet. Wait until Levi can get a definitive identity on this person before we go chasing after them."_ Erwin spoke over them.

Levi waited anxiously for this person they spoke of. There was something in the pit of his stomach making it turn, his hopes rising at the thought that maybe this was Armin. At the same time, however, he wished it wasn't. He hoped with everything that this wasn't Armin, that he was safe somewhere else, but he knew the chances of that were very slim.

" _We've lost visual of them from our position. Ackerman and Zacharius, you're the only ones who should be able to see him."_ Pixis's voice said over the radio.

"Give it a second." Levi spoke up, not to be rude, but to get them to quiet down. He needed to concentrate, needed to see it for himself.

His heart was pounding painfully within his chest. It beat into his ear drums, and for a moment, he wondered if Mike could hear it too. They were just waiting, eyes scanning the area around them for the person they spoke of.

It was just a matter of time.

"There." Mike spoke and pointed through his window. Levi's eyes followed his finger to the target he had been referring too, matching the description of the person they spoke of. This close, even with the hood in the way, he could see their face.

No, this wasn't some girl.

"It's Arlert." Levi said into his radio.

" _Alright, everyone stay where you are until we hear from Hitch."_  Erwin ordered.

"Hitch, he's coming in any second now. Make sure you see his face and make sure he's not in the room when you radio us in." Levi ordered.

" _Roger that,"_  Hitch's voice spoke through her microphone hidden away by her sweater.

They needed someone Armin hadn't seen before, someone who hadn't been on the news either preferably. Hitch was an underground worker, so she hadn't ever been seen. No one knew of her or her line of work, so she was the only one who could have the access inside without being caught. She hadn't been happy to hear what she was doing, but a little force from Erwin and she was on their side soon enough.

"Keep your radio on too, Hitch. I want to hear his voice." Levi told her.

" _Hey Captain Ackerman."_

"What?"

" _Shut up."_  Hitch growled before they heard static in the background.

"Bitch…" Levi uttered to himself. Why did they need her again?

" _Good evening. Welcome to Rose Hall."_  Hitch's voice picked up into the microphone as she greeted Armin.

" _Hi…"_  Was a timid response.

" _Do you have a scheduled appearance here?"_

" _Uhm… M-My boss called ahead. He had said he rented a room downstairs. I-I'm a little late…"_

" _Fuck, he sounds terrible."_ Nile's voice whispered over the feedback.

Terrible was an understatement. He sounded  _sick_. He sounded ready to pass out at any time. This wasn't the same voice of the kid who spoke to Eren over the phone a week ago.

" _Right, you must be who he was talking about. The room you want to go to is right through that door and down the stairs. It should be the first door on your left."_

A half an hour before they were completely set up, a group of men had entered. None of them had seen their faces, but they had gone downstairs for a scheduled "appointment" at seven. If Erwin had guessed right, and he usually did, those were the men Armin was supposed to meet.

" _Thank you…"_  Armin's weak voice trembled as he spoke before it fell quiet. Everyone waited with baited breaths, listening in.

Was the door that far away? Had he caught on to what they were planning? Had be frozen or backed out altogether?

" _Hitch…?"_  Erwin's voice asked.

There was a long, pregnant pause.

"… Alright, he's going downstairs. Get in here! Hurry up!" Hitch's voice suddenly rang in.

"Alright, everyone inside now!" Erwin's order came firm through the radio before the connection was cut out immediately. Mike and Levi jumped out of their car and bolted, being the first ones to get there. They spared a passing glance at one another, silently asking if they should wait for the others or go, but why wait? The longer they waited, the more time was spent on Armin's imminent becoming's.

The two of them got inside, shedding themselves of the heavy jackets to let the bullet proof vests show through. It was a rather big entryway, but for a building this size, it wasn't a surprise. Hitch had just left her post at the front desk, pulling the earpiece from out from her ear and around her neck where it was connected to the microphone clipped into her sweater.

"He stopped short of the doorway, but he went in anyway." She told them.

"Damn it. He should have just turned away." Levi said.

"Are we waiting for the others?" She asked.

"We need Erwin's orders. For now the building needs to be cleared out." Levi said and pulled his gun from his hip, the gun Erwin had given him.

"How though? Aren't they-"

"I don't care who has what shoved up their ass. These men are dangerous, and if they're willing to hold guns over a child's head, they're more than willing to do it to others." Levi interrupted her.

"That may alert suspicions if we do that." Mike said as the door behind them opened.

"Commander, he's downstairs." Hitch told the man as he walked in.

"Alright. Levi, Mike and Shadis, you follow me. Pixis, keep your squad here. No one gets in or out." Erwin spoke with the upmost authority he would ever use as he walked across the room to stand beside Levi. "Hitch, call a bus. Someone could get hurt and I want someone here in case that happens."

"Okay," Hitch said and reached for her phone.

"Nile, get into their systems with Hitch. See if you can find out about these damn appointments. There might be names we can use."

"Got it," Nile said and moved to the front desk. Like him, everyone went about their positions. Erwin pulled out his pistol from its holster and moved to the door, Shadis and Levi following close behind. Erwin looked over to Levi quickly before pressing his back into the wall and pulling the door open quietly. The older man looked inside, eyes glaring at the stairwell only feet from them.

He could hear footsteps, but they were distant. Whoever it was who had gone down them, more than likely Armin, was long gone from them.

"Go…" Levi whispered before moving in first, Shadis, Mike and Erwin following close behind. The stairs were relatively quiet, all except a few that creaked and groaned under their added weight. It didn't seem to alert anyone, however, which meant they could make it to the bottom floor without any troubles.

They had been notified of the extra door they needed to pass, but it was cracked open, unlike what they had been told. Levi pushed the door open a little further with his gun and looked into the long hallway. There were multiple doors leading to multiple rooms, and Levi didn't even want to think of what was going on behind those closed doors. It was disgusting; not so much the act of sex, but the fact that these people knew nothing of what was going on, and what was about to happen right next to them.

Armin wasn't far away. The first door on his left was the door he stood by, but he was hesitating. His hand was just a hair away from grabbing the door knob, but he couldn't do it. He was shaking profusely, his whole body trembling with fear. He was afraid to walk in and afraid of what he was about to deal with. He wasn't aware that help was only just behind him.

"Turn back, Armin… Turn back…" Levi whispered to himself, hoping somehow that Armin would hear him and listen, as if he were that little voice in one's head. It was under his breath though, and they were too far away for Armin to hear him over the chatter within the room right in front of him.

Armin stood by the door for a few more moments, his body frozen into place. It wasn't until a sudden sniffle was heard from him that he stepped back, heels clicking into the cement flooring as he turned around.

It was only a quick moment of elation, however. The door from behind him opened, revealing a very tall, muscular man. He had beady little eyes and a disturbingly gross toothy grin, and just below that on his neck was the tattoo of what seemed to be a snake.

Just like the one Mikasa and Eren had spoken of.

"Ah! There you are!" His voice hollered in a nauseating happiness. "You must be his last kid, am I right?"

Armin was too kind to turn away now. Even after knowing what these men were about to do to him, Armin turned back to face him, back straight and arms at his sides to avoid confrontation.

"Y-Yes sir…" He stuttered. "I-I'm sorry I'm late, I-I just got lost, and I-!"

"That's not a problem, kid. No harm done, right?" The man said and wrapped his arm around Armin's dainty shoulders.

It was then that Levi could make out the gun sitting under the hem of the man's pants, tucked away safely under his belt buckle. He was armed, and that was probably what had Armin shaking with utter fear as the man pulled him close.

"He's armed…" Levi whispered back to the others.

"Ohh, your boss was right. You really are quite a tiny thing, aren't ya?"

"Y-Yes sir…" Armin mumbled as he was pulled into the room.

"Go," Levi whispered before pushing the door the rest of the way open. He and the others pushed out into the hallway and to the door that Armin and the man had disappeared through, which had been left open to their unfortunate pleasure. However, it left them with an opening if and when it needed to be taken.

"So you're the last one from him, huh? Too bad. I like the kids that come from him." A voice spoke up. Levi didn't risk trying to look in now. It would be too dangerous.

"Yeah, I liked the girl that came in earlier in the year. She was a real fighter."

"Nah man. The real fighter was the boy after her, that kid with the green eyes."

Levi snarled, his hands around his gun tightening, though he knew better than to pull the trigger. How dare they talk about Eren and Mikasa so casually?

"I like this one though," Another voice said, very smooth and precise. "He's soft."

"If it's a he," The man who had been with Armin said. "You don't look much like a boy. Why don't you give us a little peek, hm?"

"… Y-Yes sir…" Armin stuttered. Levi looked back to Erwin, waiting for his signal to end all of this and go in. Erwin just held his hand up, signaling a stand still.

"What are you waiting for?" Levi asked quietly, though he did well to hiss out his anger.

"Kid, what's the matter? Why are you so scared?" A voice piped up and asked from within the room.

"Yeah, we'll take good care of ya."

"Real  _good_  care." A couple of morphed laughed followed after that. Levi sent another glared in Erwin's direction. Any longer and he might as well ignore his orders and go forward.

"Erwin…" He hissed.

"Not yet…" Erwin whispered. Levi's gun shook with his increasing grip; of course Erwin could see it, but they had to wait.

Not yet.

"I-I change my mind." Armin's voice suddenly spoke up. Levi's head lifted, eyes leaving Erwin's concentrated gaze to focus on Armin's words.

"What…?"

"I change my mind. I wanna go h-home." Armin said, though he couldn't hide the shake in his voice. Admitting this to a man who was armed (The others had yet to be discovered) was probably more terrifying than he thought it would be.

"You can't leave, kid." A man told him.

"N-No I wanna-!" There was the sudden sound of skin upon skin, someone more than likely hitting him before Armin cried out in pain. Levi could barely make out the sound of him hitting the floor before he looked back to Erwin.

"Erwin-!" He growled, but the man's hand dropped before he could continue.

"Now." He ordered.

Levi didn't need anything else to tell him otherwise. Levi jumped up and pushed into the doorway, gun drawn and pointed at the first person he could see, which was the man standing over Armin, hand fisted into his hair.

"Police! Let him go!" Levi ordered them, but it wasn't as easy as that. No, of course it wasn't.

The moment they heard the word police, the other men ducked while the man with his gun pulled it out and aimed. Levi jumped behind a nearby desk and hid behind the drawers, the sound of his gun popping loud. He then heard the sound of a yelp, like someone had taken the sudden blow of his bullet. Armin's scream soon followed it as Levi looked back to the door, seeing Erwin fall against the outer side of it, cradling his arm.

"Erwin!"

"It's just my arm! I'm fine!" The Commander yelled to him. Levi's eyes darted to find Shadis or Mike, but they must have still been standing behind the wall, hiding from anymore oncoming bullets.

"Drop your weapons or I shoot him!" The man yelled. Armin's sobbing followed, muffled and broken.

"He's just a kid! Let him go!" Levi yelled back, hands shaking around his gun.

"Kick away your weapons and maybe we can make a deal here." The man improvised for them. Levi huffed in agitation, trying to figure out what he should do. He was a crack shot, but if that man had his gun to Armin's head, he'd pull the trigger faster than he could get up.

Hearing Armin crying didn't help his decision either.

"Alright," Levi agreed and put his gun to the floor. He kicked it away, letting it slide far past his reach before holding up his hands above his head to show that he had nothing left on him. "I've got nothing on me, so don't shoot!"

"Stand up," The man ordered. Levi growled within his throat for having to take orders from the likes of a man like him before slowly coming to a stand.

Like he figured, Armin was within the man's grasp. His sobs were muffled with the way the man's forearm was pressing into his throat, cutting off his air. His nails were digging into that arm, but he couldn't do anything with the gun pressed into his head.

"Alright, I'm up. I don't have any weapons. I did what you said, so let him go." Levi warned him. Armin gasped for air as the man's arm tightened around him, his tears soaking into the man's shirt sleeve.

"Not yet," He said. "We aren't done here."

"He's got nothing to do with this. It's just you and me. We can make a deal so long as you let him go."

"And how do I know you won't try any funny business when I do?"

"Same for you." Levi huffed. The man's beady eyes suddenly drifted from him to the door behind them. Levi made the mistake of looking back, seeing the others looking into the room cautiously. The gun shots must have been heard, even from upstairs, and that alerted the teams into coming downstairs for assistance.

"Move!" Levi ordered. The man shot a bullet past his head; it was so close that Levi could feel it breeze by his ear. It didn't hit anyone due to Levi's quick warning, but another scream came from outside the corridor. Probably someone else within another room who had heard the shots and came out to see what it was.

Levi used his time wisely to reach into the hem of his pants and pull out the gun he had stowed away. He lifted it and aimed it, only to find that the man had his gun back to Armin's head. Armin wasn't even holding himself up anymore; the man's arm was wrapped so tightly around him that it had his feet barely touching the floor.

"Let him go or I'll shoot!" Levi barked. The man before him chuckled darkly, the muzzle of his gun pushing into Armin's ear.

"Come on, whose bullet do you think is faster? Mine or yo-"

Before the pervert could even finish his remark, Levi pulled the trigger.

One bullet to the head, and his grip on Armin was released. Armin fell to the ground and covered his ears, his eyes shut tightly as a scream ripped from his throat, and Levi allowed that as permission to not hold back.

One bullet to the shoulder. Two to his gut. One to his leg. Three at his feet. One more at his back as the man went tumbling to the ground.

Levi ran up to him, using his foot to kick away the gun he had been holding. The others behind him charged in, all of their eyes set on the other men who didn't want any part of this gun fight. Levi nudged the man with his foot, hearing him groan and moan in utter pain. He scoffed.

"Stop being such a fucking baby. Plastic bullets hurt, but they don't kill." Levi stuffed his gun back into his pants as he walked away. "Be happy I didn't use the gun Erwin gave me, or you'd be dead."

"Levi, are you okay?" Shadis asked the man as he began gathering the man up on the floor into handcuffs.

"Fine, and Erwin?"

"Just a graze to my arm." Erwin answered for him. Levi looked back to him, surprised by the blood dripping down his arm, drenching his shirt. "I'm fine," He assured him. "Now get Armin out of here."

Levi nodded his head and looked over to the teen who had been hiding in a fetal position. His jacket had been discarded long ago for their perverted pleasure, showing off a thin body that wasn't this thin when Levi last saw him. All that was covering him was a white, button up shirt and his shorts.

It was hard to look away from Armin's face, even when he was hiding it.

He remembered Armin's conversation with Eren over the phone. _'It's just a small bruise.'_ Sure, the one on his  _eye_  was. The one along his jaw line wasn't, and neither was the one grazing the bridge of his nose. The cuts were small like that one bruise was, but they were littered from his busted lip to his neck and down to his dainty shoulders. He was also missing a chunk of his hair by his ear, like someone had taken a hold of his hair by force and cut with kindergarten scissors. Levi felt a shiver go down his spine though at the fearful thought that came across his mind.

He still had an ear under that disturbed patch of hair, didn't he?

"Levi, it's all clear." He heard Nile say from the hallway. Levi nodded his head, showing he heard him, but a verbal response was hard to come up with. The building had been swept though, and everyone was safe for the time being. Hearing the men being cuffed behind him only confirmed that.

"Armin...?" Levi asked quietly while kneeling down. The blond only flinched, giving Levi the idea that he was being warned. He wasn't going to listen though, despite Armin's fragile state. "Hey..." He said softly and touched the blonde's shoulder.

Armin's response was instant.

"Don't touch me!" He screamed like he was being murdered and tried to move away. Levi wrapped his arms around the boy's chest and held firm, keeping him in place, but he didn't think to judge how close Armin's face was to his arm.

I'm the midst of a scream, Armin leaned down and sunk his teeth deep into Levi's forearm, drawing blood. He cringed to the pain, but he wasn't letting go. If anything, his grip only got tighter, which didn't bode well for the blond.

"Stop it, Arlert! I'm trying to help you!" Levi jerked his arm forward to knock bone into Armin's teeth, and that was enough to dislodge his mouth from his arm.

"Let me go! Let me go!" Armin screamed and kicked within Levi's grasp, because his arms were trapped within this painful hold. "Don't touch me!"

"Calm down!" Levi yelled over him, but it was of no use. Armin couldn't hear him like this, couldn't hear anything. He only heard and saw fear, and in his fragile state of mind, that was all he'd have to deal with.

"Help! Somebody help me!"

"Eren sent me!" It was one last attempt to see if anything could get through to the boy before he would have to handcuff him, and it worked.

Eren was the magic word, for it had an immediate effect. Armin stilled completely, body no longer thrashing, lips parted, but no screams escaping. His eyes were wide and his pupils were dilated. Had Levi never seen the teen's eyes before, he'd think that Armin's eyes were naturally black. Those big eyes, wide in multiple emotions, began releasing tears; big, fat, incessant tears.

Armin was truly a broken soul.

"No..." He whispered, his body trembling and his voice shaking to match. "N-No, h-he wouldn't do that..."

"Yes he would," Levi enforced as he turned Armin within his grasp to get a better view of the kid's face.

"No...!" Armin relented and struggled, but the struggle was nothing compared to before. "No, no, no...! He wouldn't do that! He wouldn't do that to us!"

Somehow, the statement made Levi cringe.

"Yes he would, Armin." Levi said, forcing the boy to look at him. Armin tried not to, but Levi would make sure he got his point across.

"No he wouldn't! He wouldn't do that to his family!"

Again with the family talk. What was it those two were missing about family that they truly thought they needed to be left behind?

"Yes, he  _would_. He did that for his family, for  _you_ , because he loves you, Armin." Armin whined and dropped his head backwards, a possible last attempt at fleeing, but Levi figured it was more to ignore what was being said. "Eren told me where to come find you, because he didn't want this happening to you."

"He wouldn't..." Armin sobbed.

"Yes, he did. He was so afraid of losing you, Armin. That's why he told me exactly where you would be and when. He told me to come get you, because he was worried about you."

"Eren..." Armin sobbed. Levi pulled his head back up and welcomed it when it fell against his chest. Armin fisted the buckles of his vest tightly, knuckles turning white from the grip as he cried. His tears came inhibited, quickly soaking through the black material, but Levi didn't care.

It was over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So are you guys okay for not threatening my life for a while? ... No? Oh... Okay...


	24. Can't Lose You Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp! This was supposed to be out sooner, but yeah... I was lost on the path of life. e-e
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 24: Can't Lose You Again**

* * *

It was late into the night when they were finally let in on the situation. Eren and Mikasa had been restless, going from pacing back and forth across the room, to crying on each other, to trying to drown out the loud voices by watching TV. None of it seemed to work.

Hanji could only provide a minimal amount of comfort, because she knew it could only go so far. She hadn't been in a situation like this before, so she had no experience and no words of advice to offer. Nothing she could say could possibly make them feel better.

The only thing that would make them feel better was seeing Armin safe again. That was all that could calm their nerves. Until they knew Armin was safe, until they could hold him again, this panic wouldn't go away.

It was around ten at night before they heard anything. Mikasa had finally dozed off, after half an hour of her head bobbing in place, trying to stay awake. Eren stayed awake, eyes glued to the window not far off and staring at the rain that had just started. He could hear the thunder in the distance, disguised by the pitter patter of the rain against the window.

Armin hated storms. He was so afraid of them, and it had been such a terrible week for them. He was all alone, and if they didn't succeed, wasn't he alone in this storm? He hated to think that. He just wanted him back, wanted him on this couch with him and Mikasa and huddled in a heavy blanket. He wanted to be the one holding him, keeping him warm and safe and secure. That was all he wanted.

Why was that so much to ask for?

Hanji had fallen quiet once Mikasa did. She sat on an adjacent chair, just quietly staring at him and her. What was going through her mind, he wasn't sure. He couldn't say he cared much either. He just wanted to know that Armin was safe.

Mikasa shifted beside the teen. He looked over to make sure she was still sleeping, to make sure she didn't have to sit and wait through this like he did. Her sleep was plagued by terrible dreams; he could see it on her face. It was safer in her dreams than it was out here though, so he didn't bother to wake her up.

"Why do you think it's taking so long?" Eren asked quietly, his hand falling to rest on his sister's hip.

"I'm not sure. I'm sure they're taking their time because of the rain." Hanji offered, but it did little to help him.

"We don't have any time left…" Eren muttered just as the door to the room opened. He looked up wearily, but his expression changed the moment he saw Levi walking into the room, hands safely tucked within his pockets. "Captain…!"

"Shh," She hushed and put a finger to his lips. "Don't wake her up…"

"Where's Armin?" Eren asked as he stood up from the couch. "Is he okay? Is he safe?" Eren grabbed at the older man's arms and pulled, effectively pulling his hands from his pants pockets. He needed something to hold onto, something comforting. If he was about to be given bad news, he needed something to cling to.

"… Come with me." Levi said and tugged Eren forward. Eren followed him out of the room, letting the man shut the door behind him before they continued into the densely quiet hallways.

"C-Captain Levi, you're scaring me." Eren told him, his nails digging into the officer's palms.

"Don't be scared," Levi assured him softly as they made their way over to the interrogation room.

"T-Then is he okay? You have him, don't you?" Eren asked. Levi opened up the door to the main room, bright lights still illuminating it. The brunette flinched, his eyes having a hard time adjusting to the sudden light after having been in such a dark room for so long.

Once he could see again, he noticed the other bodies in the room. Mike was standing against the furthest wall from them, arms crossed over his chest and legs supporting himself. Erwin and Hitch stood by the two-way mirror, eyes only casting a quick glance in their direction before looking back to what they had been studying. Eren took notice to the injury Erwin seemed to have, his arm up in a sling and his button up shirt stained with dried blood. His usually clean appearance was tarnished all of a sudden, but why?

"Come here…" Levi said and pulled at his hand. Eren followed close at his heel, letting himself be lead to the mirror the others had been standing at.

"Give it a rest already, Marlow. He's not gonna listen." Hitch said into her microphone. Eren's eyes drifted to look through the clear glass, seeing Marlow in the room, pacing frantically after a body that look shriveled up and cold.

It didn't take long to realize who it was Marlow was chasing after. He only questioned it, because he didn't look like his usual self.

"Armin…!" Eren cried out and put his hands on the glass.

Every time Marlow advanced closer to the blond teen, Armin would quickly run away. He kept his body pressed into the wall, hands skimming the cold cement as if looking for another way out. The older man couldn't get within five feet of him before Armin would abruptly turn in an opposite direction to avoid his contact.

The man seemed at a loss. He couldn't get Armin to sit still for five minutes, leaving both of them in a similar state of breathless and tired. Armin's only exception was his panic, which had him hyperventilating. If he kept that up, he was going to make himself faint, and what good would that do? Absolutely nothing.

Eren couldn't believe what he was seeing. This wasn't the same teen he'd last seen in that alleyway. This wasn't him. This wasn't Armin.

Armin wasn't this  _thin_. Why was he so tiny all of a sudden? Why did he look so weak? Armin was small, sure, but not this thin. He looked like a skeleton, his usually round cheeks hallowed out and his skin pale by comparison to his usual self.

Had he not eaten at all that week?

He had bruises  _everywhere_. From his eye to his jaw to his neck and down further beyond the wet shirt he was wearing. He could see the finger shaped bruises scattered along his thighs. He could see them against his neck, as if someone had taken his neck between their hands and  _squeezed_.

The scratches didn't help. He had so many, and the usual cute face Armin held was now hidden away by red and brown markings. Some of it was hidden away by infection; each one of those scratches looked to be untreated, like no one had bothered to cover them with antibiotic, and maybe that was the case.

Maybe they had just left him for dead.

Eren had shivers going down his back when he saw his hair. Like Erwin had said, Armin was missing a good chunk of it, and that chunk of blond hair was currently in plastic baggies, evidence to be used for the case later on. Above his ear was a disturbed patch of it, suddenly very thin and frail looking. His scalp looked red and irritated, like all that had been done was a good hard yank to get it out.

Why? Why would someone pull out his hair like that? It had to hurt him. It even could have damaged that one spot. Maybe his hair wouldn't grow back from that spot now. Who knew?

"Armin, I'm not trying to hurt you…" Marlow said cautiously. He took a few quick steps towards Armin, unlike before when he had been slow and hesitant. This wasn't appreciated though, and like earlier, Armin ran across the room, wall against his hands as he screeched within his throat.

"Stop it! You're scaring him!" Eren begged and looked over to the others. Erwin nodded his head in understanding before knocking against the glass twice. Marlow's head lifted to look in their direction, but he couldn't possibly know where they were.

On his side, the mirror was exactly what it looked like. A mirror. All he could see was their reflections.

Marlow sighed heavily before leaving the room. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from any of them when left the room. He figured he'd talked to Commander Erwin and Captain Levi about what they'd do next, whether it was to try forcing Armin to sit again, or just letting him calm down until he could think things through rationally. He'd read Armin's report, and he knew that Armin was usually like that. This situation probably disregarded what he read, considering his position right now.

However, after walking out of the interrogation room and shutting the door, he wasn't expecting hands to grab at his jacket and pull him down. He wasn't expecting to meet blazing green eyes filled with anger and resentment.

"You bastard! What did you do to him?" Eren yelled in his face.

"Eren, let him go!" Levi was quick to their sides, wrapping his arms under Eren's armpits to pull him away.

"He wasn't like this before! You did something to him, didn't you? You fucking bastard!"

"Eren, enough!" Levi pulled Eren far enough to put some distance between the two. If he bothered lunging again, Levi would be able to catch him this time.

"Why are you yelling at me when he hurt Armin?" Eren asked incredulously.

"Eren, he was like this when we found him!" Levi told him bluntly, not holding back. Eren's expressive and angry demeanor seemed to sizzle out. Levi could see the physical drop in his emotions, the toll it took on him, as if his heart had popped.

"No… N-No he… H-He said he was fine. He said he was okay." Eren argued pathetically.

"He lied to you…" Levi admitted. He hated having to break his heart like this, he really did, but Eren needed to hear the truth. It didn't matter how painful it was; if they wanted answers from him, he had to face the harsh reality.

No matter how much Levi wanted to protect him from it.

"H-He wouldn't lie to me… No…"

"Eren, he didn't want you upset. That's why he lied." Levi pulled Eren's hand into his own again, hoping to provide some form of comfort, whatever it may be.

"Oh God… Armin…" Eren looked back into the room where Armin was. The blond had taken up a corner to the far right of the room and slumped against the walls. His head was hiding between his legs, knees covering his face and arms wrapped around his bony limbs to stay warm.

Tears slipped past Eren's already red eyes, dripping off of his cheeks and chin like no tomorrow. He hated this. He hated everything about this.

"Thankfully Armin hadn't been raped. We got there in time to stop it." Erwin spoke up, hoping that would provide some form of assurance for him.

"T-Thank you…" Eren said as relief washed out from under the morbid admission of truth. He dropped his head down onto Levi's shoulder, hoping for something, anything from the man. He couldn't ask for much. After all, he'd caused enough trouble.

However, Levi's arms lifted to wrap around his shoulders and hold him close, whispering quiet things too quiet for Eren to hear in attempts to help him calm down. Just having him here was enough though. Being in his arms, being held by him, hearing his voice; it was all enough.

"It's alright, Eren. He's safe and with us." Levi whispered to him.

"A-Are you okay?" Eren asked as he lifted his head, eyes searching his for an answer.

"I'm alright. I already said that not much can take me down." Levi patted his head as Eren smiled, a small laugh fluttering passed his lips.

"I'm glad…" Eren's green eyes lifted to Marlow, who had been relatively quiet after Eren went after him. "I-I'm sorry about going after you… I-I just…"

"It's alright," Marlow said and waved his hand at him. "I would think if I were in your position, I'd take a swing at someone too."

"Remind me to stay on your good side." Hitch muttered under her breath.

"Commander Erwin…?" Eren turned to the blond man.

"It's just a graze. I don't even know why Nanaba has me in this thing." Erwin said and wiggled his arm to show him that he was okay, but there was still pain that caused him to wince.

"I'm sorry…"

"Eren, you've done nothing wrong." Levi said to him. "As a matter of fact, you saved Armin's life. You should be proud of yourself."

"I-I didn't do anything…" Eren mumbled somberly. "You guys went and got him."

"Had you not told us, we would have never known." Erwin told him and set his free hand down on his shoulder. "Had you not spoken up, lord only knows what could have happened to him."

"W-What about the other men? The guys who had raped Mikasa and I?"

"In custody, where they belong." Erwin said affirmatively.

"And they were the same guys?" The brunette asked.

"Yep. We overheard some of their conversation. They all knew who you two were and who Armin was. They seem to know who your pimp is too." Levi explained. Eren's eyes widened as he looked to Levi, fear evident in his expression.

"T-They…"

"They didn't say who though." Levi mentioned. Eren breathed a sigh of relief.

He was still hiding him? After all that bastard had done to him, to Armin and Mikasa, to Levi's  _squad_ , he was still protecting the man? He was still trying to fight for him?

Levi couldn't wrap his mind around the idea. He just couldn't figure it out.

"S-So… Can I go see Armin now?" Eren asked with a small pout.

"Not yet," Erwin told him. "I want to see if we can get through to him. He's scared to death right now, but I want him to trust us."

"That's not going to happen with Marlow chasing after him." Hitch said, to which the man standing beside him stuck his tongue out at her.

"Eren, you know what makes Armin tick." Levi said, ignoring the two bickering idiots standing behind him. "What can we do to get his trust?"

"Nothing," Eren answered. "Armin doesn't trust anyone outside of us."

"You were the same way, but we got through to you." Erwin mentioned.

"Armin isn't like me though. He has a social anxiety disorder. He can't handle other people, and he could barely talk to me when we first met."

"What started that?" Levi questioned, though he already knew the answer. He had read it a long time ago when the case first started.

"Armin was bullied a lot as a kid. People used to gang up on him for no reason, but I think the only reason he trusted Mikasa and I was because we fought for him. He knew then and knows now we would do it regardless of what he said." Eren walked over to the mirror and placed his head against the glass. His green eyes looking longingly at Armin, watching the teen look about the room. He'd finally calmed down some, allowing himself to look about his surroundings to get a grasp of the situation.

They knew to be weary of that. They knew what Armin could do, how smart he really was, and if he was left to his own devices long enough, he'd probably find a way out, no matter how extreme.

"How so…?" Levi continued to grill for answers.

"Armin's too kind. He always thinks he's a burden to others, even when he's not." The teen said, his breath creating a mask over the glass. "He doesn't want to cause problems for anyone else, even in simple everyday situations."

"Sounds like your profession doesn't really help much, does it?" Levi asked. Eren answered by shaking his head against the glass.

"Armin won't trust you… I know you want me to say something different, but that's all there is to it."

"Is there any way you can convince him to talk to us…?" Levi asked. Eren looked up at him with pleading eyes, his bottom lip trembling.

"… No. I-I can't…" He dropped his head down against the glass as he admitted it painfully.

He couldn't do it. He just couldn't do it. It hurt too much to even think about it.

"Eren, if he only listens to you and Mikasa, you guys are our only chance of ending this." Levi said and touched his arm.

"I-I know, but I…" Eren's breath picked up, as if he was falling into another panic attack. Levi knew better than to subject him to that, but what were they going to do? Eren wasn't going to rat out their pimp; this much they knew already. They only one who seemed like they could do it was Armin, but unless Armin was willing to trust them and talk to them, there was no way they would get answers out of him either.

This was just a never ending roller coaster. There seemed to be no end to this hellish nightmare.

"Eren," Erwin spoke up. "You said Armin is too kind, right? He's too nice?"

"Yeah," The brunette nodded.

"We already knew that, Erwin." Levi said. "Why do you feel the need to bring that up?"

Levi saw the peculiar look on Erwin's face. It wasn't often he saw it, but there were times that Erwin showed the cogs moving around in his head.

What was he thinking?

"Levi, could you do me a favor?" The blonde man asked.

"Sure…?" Levi said questionably.

"Could you order me some Chinese food?"

"Could I  _what?_ " Levi asked with a dumbfounded tone.

"And a lot of it too?" Erwin added before patting his shoulder with his free arm. "Thanks," He said just before leaving the room, all eyes on him in confusion.

What the hell was he planning? He must have had something in mind.

* * *

Armin's head darted up the instant he heard the door click open. The moment he saw the Commander walking in, Armin immediately got up, his heels clicking into the floor as he staggered to stand up straight.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Armin. I didn't mean to scare you." Erwin apologized and held up his hand. Armin pressed his back into the corner of the wall, trying to make himself melt into it, though he knew better. "You're alright, Armin. I'm not going to interrogate you or anything like that."

The teen stilled, blue eyes staring at him past his bangs, like he was trying to figure him out.

"Why…?" He asked with his scratchy voice.

"Well, technically I can't. I just clocked out for dinner, so I'm not allowed to talk about the case." Erwin said. Armin's head tilted to the side, as if confused by his words and prompting for a better answer. He didn't get one. "Anyway, I usually like eating in quiet places. I normally eat in my office, but there's so much paper work in there that I can't clean off my desk."

"What's he doing…?" Erwin heard Eren ask, but he whispered so Armin wouldn't hear him talking.

"So Armin, would you care if I ate in here? I just need a quiet place for a few minutes to sit and collect my thoughts, you know?" Erwin asked him. "I'll stay out of your way of course. It's just for a bit."

"Doing what he does best…" He heard Mike say quietly, ignoring the way Erwin sent a quick glance back at them, a glance Armin didn't seem to notice.

"Uhm…" Armin mumbled, slowly recoiling to his previous position. "N-No… I don't mind…"

"Don't do that to him. Don't use him like that." Eren warned him, but it was ignored.

"Ah, thank you, Armin. I appreciate it." Erwin said and grabbed at the bag of food he had set aside. He shut the door behind him and set everything up at the table centered in the middle of the room, pulling out his Styrofoam boxes and two drinks to prepare himself for a heavy meal.

He'd first gone for his fried dumplings. He didn't want to eat the bigger portions of food, so he needed to go for the smaller things, even when these dumplings were bordering large. He opened up the container and dug in, not minding a bit of Armin's incessant staring.

It was what he wanted.

Erwin made sure to moan at the delicious taste. He wasn't much for Chinese food if he were being honest. He liked things on the spicier side, but this wasn't about him. It wasn't even  _for_  him.

Looking over at the teen in the corner, he saw Armin's wide, blue eyes on the food. He thought he could even hear his stomach growling as he stared at the food like he was a predator ready to pounce.

Got him.

"Oh, I am so sorry Armin. I'm being so rude." Erwin said as he set down his food. "Would you like any?"

"Oh, n-no. I couldn't take that." Armin mumbled. "That's your food after all."

"I'm just offering. If you want some, you're more than welcome to have it."

* * *

"What's he doing?" Eren asked as he looked over to Levi for just a moment. "Armin won't accept an offer like that."

"If he's hungry enough, he will." Levi told him. Eren looked back to his childhood friend, lips frowning in worry.

"Don't torture him like this…" He pleaded.

* * *

"It's alright if you want to eat. I always order so much and my wife hates it. She complains that she never gets to make me any dinner, and I always end up bringing left overs home, so she never makes me lunch either." Erwin lied. It was the biggest lie he could think up of.

Erwin ate food if it was ordered by others. However, his wife cooked for him often. He always had something from her and ever so rarely came home with leftovers. Armin didn't need to know that though.

"… A-Are you sure?" Armin asked, his legs already shaking with the desire to walk over and take some of the food.

"It'd insult me if you didn't have some. Please, Armin, come eat if you're hungry." Erwin said and continued eating his food. He kept his eyes down, waiting to see if the bait had been taken. He didn't want to let Armin on to his plan, which meant he needed to act like this wasn't intentional.

Soon enough, the first click of Armin's heel hit the floor. One by one went as Armin cautiously moved to the table and took a seat. Erwin looked up shortly to smile before continuing to eat like nothing was wrong, though he watched from the corner of his eyes as Armin hesitantly reached for some food.

"I-Is it okay if I have this?" Armin asked, his hand suddenly darting back to his side. He didn't want to take something that wasn't his without permission.

At least he had been raised with manners. That was more than any officer could say for some of the kids they met.

"Of course. Pick away at anything. I have more than enough." Erwin assured him. Armin nodded his head before opening up the box. All that was in it was white rice, but Erwin acted like he hadn't heard Armin's stomach suddenly growl. He even acted like he hadn't seen the face he made in protest of it, like it was painful just to feel.

"Would you like some chopsticks?" Erwin asked and motioned to an extra pair (Armin didn't need to know he got extra for him) of them beside one of the bags.

"I can't use them. I never learned how." Armin mentioned. Erwin nodded his head before setting his own down and reaching into the bag.

"I think there might be some forks in here…" Erwin uttered before finding one. He made a small sound of approval before holding it out for him, and for a moment, Armin seemed to get lost in hunger. He took the fork gingerly before digging in, trying to be slow and precise, but his stomach was hurting him.

He hadn't had a decent meal in a while. He hadn't had one that was  _hot_  in ages. The food was so hot he felt like it was burning his mouth, but he was so hungry that he forced himself to swallow the first few bites until he couldn't feel it anymore. It hurt, but the food was suddenly curving the ache in his stomach. It was bringing tears in his eyes, though he managed to hide them.

At least he thought he did. Erwin saw his eyes turning red.

"Hungry…?" Erwin asked and laughed lightly.

"I-I'm sorry…" Armin apologized breathlessly.

"Don't apologize, Armin. There's nothing wrong with that." Erwin waved off his apology like it was nothing. "I'm sure the chefs would appreciate your reactions."

"I-I can't imagine…" The teen argued lightly.

"I think there's some chicken separate in one of these containers if you want to add that." The older man offered.

"I-If you wouldn't mind."

"Armin, I already said it was okay." Erwin said somewhat sternly. He wasn't trying to scare him, but if he could break him a bit at a time, it'd help. "Don't worry. Just eat."

"… Okay…" Armin mumbled, giving in.

It was probably a habit to give in to argument. He didn't want to fight it and he didn't want to get in trouble, so fighting it was pointless. It was just what he had to learn if he wanted to survive.

Armin reached for one of the bags and looked inside, finding a couple more boxes with foods that smelled delicious. He wasn't even sure if he wanted the rice anymore. In one box was roasted pork with mushrooms and some sauce. He didn't even like mushrooms, but he was so hungry he couldn't even care at this point. He couldn't be picky.

Rice ignored, Armin dug his fork in. He looked up past his bangs to silently question Erwin, but one pointed glance and he went back to eating. It fell silent between them. All that could be heard was them eating, every now and again Erwin's drink clinking against the table or Armin fidgeting within his chair, which he did a lot of. He was uncomfortable, but that was understandable, wasn't it?

"… You're going to question me, right?" Armin asked after setting his fork down. He managed to clear half of his box of food before he felt utterly full. He hadn't had so much to eat in such a long time, and he knew that if he pushed his stomach, he'd end up seeing most of it.

"What do you mean?" Erwin feigned ignorance.

"You're just trying to get my trust, aren't you? You're going to gain it so I'll trust you enough to slip and speak."

"I already told you that I can't. I clocked out, Armin." The commander told him. Armin looked up with weary eyes, as if the confession was too much to believe. "If I asked you anything, it wouldn't be relevant to the case. Like for example, your haircut."

"M-My haircut…?" Armin asked, but instead of touching the perimeter of his hair, Armin's fingers brushed along the reddened area above his ear, as if that was what he was commenting on.

"Yeah. Not a lot of boys your age have that type of hairstyle. You'll hear it often probably that it's too girly."

"Oh…" Armin hummed in understanding.

"Was it your idea?" Erwin asked. "The style I mean. Did you see it in a magazine somewhere?"

"No, I've always had my hair this length. I-I don't look good with hair as short as yours… Or anything longer than this." Armin's fingers played with the dead ends of his hair, pulling lightly at the straggly pieces that shouldn't have been there and were breaking off effortlessly.

"And you don't like your hair in your face. Is that why you have bangs?"

"Yeah… But they're getting pretty long…" Armin played with the hair in his face, measuring it up to his eyes. His bangs were past his eyebrows now, touching his bottom lashes, but that must have been getting annoying for him.

"Who usually cuts it? Do you go to a salon somewhere?"

"No. Mikasa does it."

"Mikasa…? She's very talented then. I couldn't imagine making it so even." Erwin leaned back in his chair to relax, feeling the previous morose tension dissipating. What he was doing was working, but he knew there was a line to draw somewhere.

"She's really good at it." Armin said. "But she does it every few weeks, so it makes sense."

"Does she want to be a stylist of some sort?"

"No, she's just good at it. Mikasa is good at anything she does."

Armin wasn't aware of his slipping tongue. He wasn't admitting to anything relevant to the case, but the hot food in his stomach, added with the slowly dropping pressure of the atmosphere, was making it easier to breathe and relax. That, and Erwin had a very trustworthy personality by default. He was very charming, laid back, and easy going. He thought clearly and thoroughly, so it was easy to feel the same way when one was around him.

Armin was smart, but he didn't realize who he was dealing with either.

"Do you know what she'd like to do?" Erwin asked, to which he got a shake of the head.

"We don't really think… About it." Armin paused, the situation seeming to slip into his mind.

He was smart, so he knew where this was going.

"Ah. Must be nice for your siblings to cut your hair." Erwin said, drawing the attention away from the quickly growing subject.

Not yet. He needed to approach this slowly.

"No, just Mikasa. Eren cut my hair once, but… It was a mess." Armin smiled lightly at the memory as both of his hands came up to touch his hair. "He used a bowl to make the outline, and because of that my hair ended up so short on one side. Mikasa had to fix it, and it took months to grow back just to my chin."

"So Eren's not very gifted with scissors, right?"

"No, not really." Armin laughed softly, remembering his own horrified expression in the mirror when he had seen the result of Eren's mishap. "He makes up for it with other things."

"How so…?" Erwin stuffed his mouth with a cooling dumpling to deter Armin's attention.

"H-He's kind of the definition of that saying actions speak louder than words. He does his best to make up for something that goes wrong or doesn't go the way he wants it to. H-He's not the type of person who tries to get everything he wants, but it's the good, healthy things he works hard for."

"It's admirable." Erwin said. "It must be nice to have a friend so willing to make you happy."

"… Is he o-okay?" Armin stuttered out his question. "I mean… Is he okay?" Erwin gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I'm not allowed to talk about the case, Armin." The man told him regrettably. That was one thing he truly didn't like doing. He knew Armin and Eren were close; he didn't need to read the files on them to find that out. The air about them was so obvious. He didn't want to break Armin's heart like this, but he needed to keep his façade going. He needed Armin to believe this was real.

"I know, but… C-Can you at least tell me if he's eating, sleeping, or  _breathing?_ " Armin pleaded with him, leaning forward in his seat while he ignored his food. His stomach was beginning to turn with nausea. "You're taking care of him, aren't you?"

"Of course we are, Armin. I wouldn't let him be harmed by anything or anyone."

"He's…" Armin didn't seem happy by that answer. In fact, he seemed discouraged by it.

"He is safe, Armin." Erwin assured him. "Mikasa is too."

"Mikasa…" Armin mumbled. Erwin saw the color begin to drain from his face, his eyes glazing over with a look that wasn't very familiar, but he knew what it meant.

"Are you okay?" Erwin asked him. Armin shook his head quickly and covered his mouth, his stomach suddenly doing flips. He thought he had been slow with eating, effectively keeping everything down, but maybe that wasn't the case.

"N-No…" He uttered past his hand. Erwin emptied out one of the plastic bags quickly and held it out and open for him. He barely made it in time as the food that was meant to make Armin better came back up and fell into the bag.

Armin heaved, nearly falling off of the chair, but Erwin used his bad arm to hold him up by the shoulder. Yeah, it hurt, but he figured Armin was probably in more pain than he was right now. His whole body continued to lurch forward in his seat, gasping and heaving for air when he could. His eyes watered, his lungs burned, his ribs ached, and he'd never felt so hungry before. All of that good, delicious food completely wasted as it fell into the bag.

"Just let it out, Armin." Erwin said and rubbed his hand on his shoulder. "Just take slow breaths. Breathe through it. It'll be over so-"

"Don't… Touch me…!" Armin gasped and forced himself out of the chair. He didn't even make it two steps forward before he fell face first into the floor. His hands protected him quickly, but the sudden ache in his bones was painful and real.

He just couldn't get a break.

* * *

"Stop it..." Eren pleaded, his forehead resting against the glass. "Leave him alone..."

"Eren, we can't stop. This is the only way-"

"I'll get him to tell you..." He whispered, eyes glazed over in tears as he looked over to the older man standing beside him.

"You what...?"

"Let me talk to him. Please...? I'll get him to tell you... Just don't upset him anymore..." The brunette pleaded with him, his voice shaking like the rest of his body.

He winced at the sounds of Armin gagging from within the room, the terrible heaves left over from all of the vomiting, having tears drop rolling down his cheeks. His ribs were aching from the sudden strain, and besides what he just ate, there was nothing left to vomit. All that was left to do was sit there and try to breathe through the terrible pain stabbing at his lungs and burning his throat.

Eren saw it all. He couldn't look away for long without worry burning away at his mind. He couldn't look away even if he wanted to. He couldn't handle this anymore. He couldn't see Armin this way. If it meant what it meant, he'd get Armin to talk.

If they'd let him see him.

"I'll get him to tell you everything, just... Just let me talk to him. Please, Captain Levi..." Eren begged him. Levi took in a deep breath as he looked into those deep, green eyes, wet with stagnant tears and cheeks flushed in frustration. He looked back into the room, watching Erwin try to put his hand on Armin's back, a possible attempt to help sooth him once more, but it was no use. Even woozy and tipsy, Armin pushed himself back into a corner and hid against the wall, the only place within the room he could feel safe at this point.

"Did you hear that, Erwin?" Levi asked. Erwin looked back to the mirror and nodded his head, a silent assurance that indeed he had. "Alright, go." Levi told him.

Eren looked taken aback for a moment. He didn't think they'd so easily agree, leaving him dumbfounded. It wasn't until Levi shot him an annoyed glance that Eren moved into gear and burst into the room without another thought.

"Armin...!" He said his name frantically as he ran over to the corner Armin was hiding in. Armin looked up in shock when he heard that all too familiar voice, and when he looked up and spotted Eren quickly approaching, it only intensified.

"Eren!" He voice bordered a scream that shook when he collided with the brunette. The force of their embrace pushed him right back into the wall, knocking the air out of him and rendering him breathless. The sudden embrace had the two sliding to the floor, Eren's hands wrapped protectively around Armin, one under his left leg and the other around the small of his back. He pulled him into his lap as they situated themselves on the hard cement flooring, but neither of them cared.

Eren was there. Eren was there holding him, arms around his body, warm and real and just  _there_. That was all he wanted.

"Eren, Eren, Eren…!" He cried into the brunette's shoulder, tears no longer held back and all thoughts of bravery out of the window.

"Shh, it's okay, Armin." Eren soothed him as he mindlessly rocked the two of them back and forth. He knew of Erwin's prying eyes, suspicious of his actions, and it was understandable. He wasn't an easily trusted person to begin with, but he wasn't going to mess this up.

He couldn't see Armin like this anymore.

"Eren… Oh my God, Eren…" Armin continued to sob, his breathing frantic. Eren sat back and lifted Armin by his shoulders, pushing him away so he could look into his eyes.

"Stop crying, Armin. You'll make yourself puke again." Eren warned him and wiped at his red cheeks.

"I-I can't! I can't! I j-just can't!"

"It's okay, Armin." Eren said softly. "Just breathe for me. You can do that, right?"

"E-Eren…" Armin was choking on nothing but air now as he tried to sputter out a response.

"Take a slow, deep breath, okay?" Eren told him. Armin sputtered on air, his forced breaths terrible heaves from hyperventilating. He tried, however, and that was all Eren was asking for. "There you go…"

"E-Eren, I didn't tell them anything..." Armin suddenly spoke up, breathing ignored. "I-I didn't tell them! I promise, I-!"

"Armin," Eren said sternly and cupped his cheeks within his hands. He needed his undivided attention on him and only him. "Tell them."

"… What…?" Armin asked as his hands clasped around the brunette's wrists.

"Tell them who it is, Armin." Eren told him, his grip around him tightening. "Please…"

"… N-No, Eren. I-I can't-"

"Yes, you can." Eren assured him. "You're the only one who can."

"I can't!" The blond tried to shake him away, but Eren's grip was too firm. He wasn't letting go.

"Please, Armin. I can't see you like this anymore." He admitted painfully, eyes burning with tears just waiting to fall. Armin stilled within his grasp, eyes wide and eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"… I-I don't…" Armin tried to speak, but it didn't make sense to him.

"I told them where you were." The teen continued to admit his actions. "I told them where you were, because I couldn't bear the thought of you being raped. I couldn't handle the idea of someone else touching you or hurting you. I've been a fucking wreck all week, because I didn't know where you were, how you were, if you were eating or sleeping. I couldn't sleep right without you in my arms and it hurts, Armin."

A single tear slid down his cheek as he sniffled, his body beginning to shake.

"I can't do this anymore, Armin. I can't take knowing that you and Mikasa are in danger. I can't put you guys in these situations just because I'm selfish. I can't do it anymore. I couldn't handle if it something happened to you or her again, and knowing that it might easily happen is killing me. This week has been a fucking hell and I couldn't take not knowing anything."

Armin's fingers held onto his arms loosely, hands barely holding onto him for meager support.

He clung onto every word he spoke, however.

"So please, Armin, tell them. Just tell them and end it all so I can be with you again, because if I can't I don't know what I'll do… I can't lose you again…"

Armin's face fell slightly, but remained at a very apathetic expression. It was a very frightening expression to even look at, because he should have been reacting to this, shouldn't he? He should have continued to cry, should have argued, agreed; anything really.

He looked lost. He looked indecisive. He looked like he couldn't make up his mind. Admit the truth or keep holding it in? It seemed that he wasn't expecting such an admission from Eren, so much that it rendered him utterly confused.

He didn't know Eren thought this way all this time. He knew he cared for him, but up until now, the affection was always minimal. Small kisses, close contact. That was all. This was the most admission of affection from Eren that he had ever witnessed, and it had rendered him deaf, blind, and dumb.

"Please, Armin…" Eren begged once more. "Tell them…"

Armin's blue eyes drifted from his. At first he looked to the floor, as if trying to get his decision together, but then they slowly looked up to Erwin. Without even having it set in stone, he was silently telling him with his eyes that he was ready.

He was going to admit it.

Erwin saw the look and knelt down beside them, injured arm leaning against his knee as he looked to them. Eren sat back to give the two of them space, and for good reason. The blond teen jumped against Erwin and hid his face away in the man's neck, nearly knocking him over as he huddled into him. Erwin managed to wrap his good arm around him with slight surprise before Armin pressed his lips into his ear and quietly whispered.

His eyes widened.

The man looked over to the mirror, the same look of shock written on his face as he hoped that they had heard what had just been said. However, Armin had spoken into the ear without the earpiece, and his shirt had muffled out any sound with the embrace.

It hadn't been picked up.

* * *

"What is it?" Mike asked, eyes looking over to the older man within the room.

"He got the name." Levi told him, but they hadn't heard it. Armin had made sure to cover up what he admitted; he knew better than to trust the listening ears within the other room.

"Who though…?" Marlow asked.

"I don't know…" Levi mumbled to himself as they watched the scene in front of them.

Armin slowly fell from Erwin's arms, head hung low. With the microphone no longer covered, they could hear his broken sobs and see the tears sliding effortlessly down his cheeks. Eren began crying too as he pulled Armin back to him, who welcomed the gesture for all it was worth.

Erwin stood and left the room, leaving the two teens alone to cry by themselves as he walked back into the main room.

"Well…?" Hitch asked. Erwin still seemed lost in thought, which never happened. He was usually so controlled of himself, easily keeping a conversation going while he figured out everything in his head at the same time.

This was another frightening thing to see.

"Go wake Mikasa up. She needs to be with them." Erwin looked over to Mike and said. The man nodded his head silently and left the room, leaving the rest of them to quietly wait for an answer.

"Well, Erwin…?" Levi asked him. "You got the name, didn't you?"

"Yes, I did…" The man seemed to hate admitting it.

"So who is it?" The older man asked, but he remained quiet.

Erwin waited silently until Mikasa walked into the room behind Hanji and Mike, dazed with sleep and rubbing at her eyes. She was still weary of the situation though, seeing the familiar faces and remembering the situation that had been happening just hours before. She couldn't even begin to question them before she saw Eren through the doorway, still huddling a very broken down Armin.

Without another word to them, she ran into the room. She fell beside the two and instantly pulled Armin into her arms. At first he retaliated, but then, when he realized who she was, he immediately fell into her strong and firm grasp.

"I-I'm sorry, Mikasa…" Armin whispered.

"What are you apologizing for?" She asked in a reprimanding tone, but it wavered like her resolve.

"I told them…" The blond admitted painfully, fresh tears falling from his eyes. "I told them who it is…"

She seemed shocked to say the least. She looked up to Eren, as if looking for answers, something positive or to say that he had lied, but there was nothing of the sort.

"Don't, Armin. I told you to tell them. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine…" He spoke up, because it was true. What he didn't realize, however, was that it wasn't his fault.

Mikasa leaned back some, as if trying to process it all. It was too much information for her to suddenly carry, and so soon after waking up. There was only one thing in her mind that made sense at this point though.

It was over. Truly over.

Any walls that had been built up crumbled within seconds. The dams had flooded and the gates had burst, letting tears spring into her eyes and cascade down her cheeks. She fell apart quickly after that, falling against her brother and Armin for any attention they were willing to give, and it was given gratefully.

They were all they had left now.

Within the other room, the adults had been watching them. Levi couldn't handle seeing Mikasa cry; he never could. He looked away quickly enough and pulled the door inward, but not closed. He didn't want them to think he was closing them off from the world, not after all that they had been through.

"Alright, Erwin, spill it." Levi remarked with his hands on his hips. "Who the fuck is their pimp?"

Erwin looked like he was still trying to process everything, baby blue eyes on the floor in deep thought. He didn't look as shocked anymore. He looked more agitated than confused.

Had he been wrong about something?

"Mike, can you do me a favor?" Erwin asked of the man, who grunted in a positive response. "I know it's late, but I need you to make a call to Judge Zackely. I need a warrant made up immediately."

"For who…?" Mike asked. There was a long pause, as if Erwin was still trying to make heads or tails of the answer himself.

"For Grisha Jaeger."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while I was writing out this last bit, I really almost changed who it was. It's been him since I began this fun adventure in San Francisco, but I was like, "... What if I just made it Hannes last minute? No one guessed him yet, right? How about someone like Marlow?" I just wanted to mind fuck all of you honestly. XD But the story wouldn't flow right had I changed it, and then the ending wouldn't be the same, so it stayed him. ;3 Ten points to people who got it right!
> 
> You thought it was Armin? Really? X'D


	25. Go Through Hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh, here's another chapter I'm worried about. I've come to the conclusion that the people who are still here and reading this have steel minds and cannot break to anything. This is good, but... Well. Here we go.*coughs* Trigger warnings for mentions of rape, gang rape, child abuse, murder, attempted suicide, self harm, minor and major character death, survivors guilt, and a few other things I'm surely forgetting about.
> 
> Trying to get through some chapters before school starts. Get the heads up and what not. ^^
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Hero (I think I've used this one already, but I'm running out!)
> 
> By: Skillet

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 25: Go Through Hell**

* * *

The room was utterly quiet.

The name had been given, and yet they didn't know what to think. They didn't know what to make of it.

Armin hadn't lied, not after Eren told him to tell, so then why didn't it seem real? Why couldn't they make heads or tails of the response?

"Wait…" Hanji began. Even after the years she'd been within her field, after the stories she had heard, it didn't make sense. "Eren's… Father?"

"That's what Armin said." Erwin uttered, still lost in a dazed thought.

"Could he be lying?" Marlow asked.

"No, not after Eren begged him like that. Not when they look like this." Erwin cast a glance back to the mirror, looking at the teens within the room who still looked lost. They hadn't stopped crying yet. All they were doing, all they  _could_  do, was sit and wear themselves out.

"The man went missing three years ago." Levi spoke up.

"And this is where he's been. Subjecting his kids to this sick world." The blonde man said.

"Why…?" Hanji asked.

"That's for us to find out." He continued. "We have to put them through hell just a bit longer. Only then are we going to get the answers we need and give them peace."

"I don't understand…" Levi said quietly, more to himself than the others. However, within the quietness of the room, his words were still picked up.

"What do you mean?" Hanji asked.

"Eren said so himself that his father wasn't coming back. He even wondered why he wasn't coming to their rescue, so how could it be him?"

"Maybe he meant figuratively." Hanji suggested.

"The hell does that mean?" The older man was quickly running out of patience.

"Maybe Eren was talking about the man who took care of them, the man who raised him. Maybe he's referring to the man who once used to be his real father." She explained. "If Grisha suddenly went crazy and did this to them, he's looking for the father that used to be his idol. He's hoping that he'll come back and save him from this hell he's been brought into. That's more than likely why none of them wanted to say anything. Beside the threats against their lives, they were hoping the original man who used to be heartwarming and caring would come back to them someday."

"So they didn't want to admit who he was, because they were hoping he'd snap out of this delusion and save them?" Erwin confirmed.

"It's the only reason I can think behind their actions, though I can't understand Grisha's." Hanji said. Levi's eyes looked between the two of them, looking to the teens still in the room, huddled together for comfort. Looking at Eren and Mikasa so broken and torn apart by the world had his blood boiling, but the better side of him reminded himself to stay calm. They needed answers, not actions.

' _Wouldn't you think that a father would come back for his kids? Why would he do this to us?'_

' _You don't understand!'_

' _I can't betray my family…'_

' _No he wouldn't! He wouldn't do that to his family!'_

Levi wanted to slap himself both mentally and physically.

Why hadn't he connected the pieces before? Why hadn't he figured it out on his own? All of the tedious clues that had been thrown around. The amount of times Eren had blatantly stated who their pimp was. Why hadn't he actually figured out the answer?

Was it just because he thought it too ridiculous? Had he just not figured Grisha was a possibility? Out of all the people in the world who it could have been, he never once thought it to be him, but why? Did he really believe the man was dead? Did he really believe there was a silver lining to this?

"I'm such a fucking idiot…" He said out loud when the realization of it all stated to drop onto his shoulders.

"What was that?" Erwin asked.

"… Eren has said it so many times. He's said who their pimp was over and over again, and I've been such an idiot that I didn't hear anything of what he was saying. All of the hints. All of the clues he's being giving me… And I haven't been listening to a single fucking one." Levi dropped his head into his hands, trying to overcome the immense guilt he suddenly felt.

"Levi, you couldn't have known. He's been pronounced dead for years." Hanji assured him.

"This whole fucking fiasco could have been over days ago had I been paying attention. I've just been putting them through a worse hell, because I didn't listen."

"Maybe that was for the best." Marlow said quietly, but to his unfortunate displeasure, the others had heard.

"How could it have been best for them?" Levi asked with a growl.

"I-I mean, even if you had figured it out, Eren wouldn't have told you where they were." The man explained his words. "It took Eren this long to admit where Armin was, but only with the idea that he would be raped if not. There was no repercussion to not saying anything until now, so maybe it was better this way to find out. Armin is here and safe, so are Mikasa and Eren, and now we know who it is, so…" Marlow slowly came to a stop when the glare he was receiving from Levi caused shivers to go up his back.

"He's right, Levi." Erwin said, breaking off the terrifying glare Levi was doing. "They're safe now and that's all that matters. We can't look back at what we didn't do and dwindle on it. We can only make up for it by the actions we take now."

"And how do we do that…?" The older man asked regrettably, his eyes drifting back to the interrogation room.

"We make them go through hell…"

* * *

"Eren, calm down." Erwin warned the brunette.

"Leave me alone!" Eren walked past Erwin and pushed himself into a corner, hiding away from the two older man.

"Eren..." Levi said softy and held his hands up. He approached him slowly, cautiously, waiting for that warning to tell him to back away. However, Eren eyed him gingerly, waiting for him until Levi pressed a gentle hand into his arm. "It's okay, Eren..."

"C-Captain..."

"We aren't forcing you, okay...? Just come sit down and breathe for me. You can do that, right?" Levi asked him. Eren slowly nodded his head as he took up his hand subconsciously. Levi let him, wrapping his arm around his waist to pull him close.

He knew Erwin was watching. He knew the man was sizing him up as some terrible person for being so close to a victim, to a person on their case, but he wanted answers, didn't he? If he wanted answers, Eren needed to be calm and level-headed to the best of his abilities. Levi was the only one that could make him like that right now, so Erwin needed to trust him.

He needed to trust him just a little.

"Sit down..." Levi instructed softly as he helped Eren into his seat. He was a shivering mess, eyes wide and looking about wildly. He couldn't process what was happening right now, not properly anyway. "Just take a deep breath, okay?"

"I-I can't..." He stuttered.

"Yes you can..." Levi assured him and tightened his grip around his hand. "Don't worry about anything else. Just look at me and breathe..."

Eren gave him a puppy look, bottom lip stick out and eyes pleading.

He didn't want to do this. He really didn't want to do this, but they weren't giving him much of a choice, were they?

Eren sighed heavily, breathing through his mouth, because he could no longer breathe through his nose. It was too stuffed up.

"There you go..." Levi said. "You don't have to now, but when you're ready, I want you to talk about it."

"I don't think I can..." Eren admitted with guilt plaguing his mind.

"Yes you can. You just have to go at your own pace. Talk about what you're comfortable with first." Levi told him and rubbed at his arm.

"I'm not comfortable with any of it..." The brunette retorted with attitude, but he wasn't aware of the present annoyance in his tone.

"You know what I mean." Levi chided and leaned into his arm. Eren smiled lightly, but with the ever looming conversation over his head, it disappeared quickly.

He looked over to Erwin, judging him silently, but the man didn't look rushed. He didn't look like he had any places to be anytime soon. He didn't look like he was going to push the information out of him, and at least he had that going for him.

"... W-When I was fourteen... My mom and dad started getting into arguments. At fifteen... They talked about divorce..." Eren trailed off, the remembrance of their heated arguments still burning within his mind. "That was when I noticed my dad had been very distant. He wasn't home very often, and when he was, he didn't talk to us…"

"It's okay, Eren." Levi said softly and held his hand.

"... One night... One night Armin came over for a sleep over. We were starting school soon, so we wanted to spend what little of summer we had left together... And then..."

* * *

"What happened...?" Erwin asked the blonde teen sitting in front of him.

Armin was in no better condition than Eren had been. In fact, he was worse. Tears had long since drenched his face, leaving it red and swollen. His hair was matted from grabbing at it so many times and his breathing had long since constricted. He was an utter mess right now, but he was spilling everything.

Unfortunately, this was an opportunity they couldn't miss.

"Dr. Jaeger came into the room, a-and he said we were going on a trip..." Armin heaved, voice scratchy from its excessive use. "H-He said it was like a family vacation before school, and that my grandfather said I could go."

"What did you do?" Erwin held out another tissue for the boy, to which he took and tried to clean his face up.

"We thought it was weird, but we just went with him..."

"What happened after that?"

"W-Well he... He brought Jean and Christa over... With someone else. S-She looked a little bit like Mikasa..." Armin groaned and covered his head again.

He hated this. He absolutely hated it.

"It's alright, Armin. Take a deep breath." Erwin instructed him. Armin was much more willing to comply to his orders than Eren had been.

"He said they were going to watch the house while we were gone! He said that... Said that he was paying them to stay over for a while..."

"Oh..." Erwin mumbled.

It made sense fairly quickly.

"Oh God...!" Armin hollered and covered his head with the long sleeves of his oversized sweater, a sweater they had given him to get him out of those ridiculous clothes. "Christa and Jean are dead and it's all my fault!"

"Armin, that isn't your fault." Erwin placed a tentative hand on Armin's shoulder, hesitantly at first to show he wasn't going to harm him. Armin flinched away, but he wasn't running.

"M-Maybe if I had kept my hair shorter? Or may-"

"Armin," Erwin said sternly. "Your hair would have not stopped anything. You didn't kill Christa in that fire and you know that. You had nothing to do with it."

"It had everything to do with me...!"

* * *

"Yeah, I thought it was really weird. I-I didn't get along with Jean at the time, so I just didn't bother questioning him about it…"

"What happened after that, Eren…?" Eren squeezed the captain's hand, his stomach twisting in knots.

"He didn't even have us pack. We just got into the car. He buckled us in and locked the doors, a-and that's when I noticed my mom wasn't there…"

"She was still in the house…?" Levi asked, which was responded by a nod of the head.

"Jean and Christa, even that one other girl were in there. I was on my phone, so I hadn't been paying much attention to what was going on. I only noticed it until it was too late…"

"Until what was too late…?" Erwin asked as he took a seat across the table from the two of them.

"… O-Our house was suddenly up in flames…" Eren shook before leaning into Levi's shoulder, face hidden by his sweater. "We tried to get out, but we couldn't get the locks open. T-Then my dad got in the car and started driving off. We screamed at him to stop, but… H-He wouldn't listen…!"

* * *

"Are you okay to continue, Mikasa?" Hanji asked the teen sitting before her. Mikasa sniffled before lifting her head, eyes red and cheeks flushed.

"I'm okay..." She whispered.

"Alright. Do you want to continue with this topic?"

Hanji knew this wasn't easy. It didn't matter at what age one was when they lost someone dear to them.

Losing a child was never easy.

"I can do it..." She had to condone her for her strength and bravery. This wasn't easy for anyone, but Mikasa had proven her strength time and time again.

She could see it wearing down on her though. Mikasa was tired now, eyes dropping and broken, skin damp with tears, her body shaking. She was falling apart right in front of her.

"When you're ready. You don't have to push yourself." Hanji told her, but the teen shook her head.

"The first time it happened... I was fifteen..." She began, her hands running up her arms. "I-I found out only a month later… I wasn't sure what to do, so I told him. H-He's a doctor, so I thought he'd know what to do for it, but…"

"That's when he hurt you…?" Hanji asked. Mikasa covered her face.

"He kept going after my stomach… Kept calling me names… A-And he wouldn't let Eren or Armin near me until he was done, b-but by then… It came out…"

"You're doing well, Mikasa. You don't have to force yourself to talk about this."

"I need to! I feel like I'll die if I don't…!" Mikasa cried into her palms before shuddering. She stopped for a moment just to breathe, to collect herself. She knew that the chances of Eren and Armin, even Levi being in the next room listening to this were high, so she didn't want to lose it in front of them. She still had to keep herself together.

"Okay…" Hanji said softly.

"I-I know I was young, and I know that it was just some random man's baby, but I…"

"You still loved it, right?" Hanji asked.

"He was still my son…" Mikasa whispered, her hands trembling as she brought them up to her face.

"You knew it was a boy…?"

"No, b-but I thought it was. I thought that… If I ever got out of this, I'd someday want a baby boy." She admitted and shook her head. "I-I didn't know about the others though. He never let me look at them."

"Others…?" Hanji questioned. "… Mikasa… How many times have you been pregnant?" She couldn't help question it. The way the teen spoke made her think that there were more.

"… Six other times." She admitted, but when it came up, she couldn't hold back anymore. The pain was too real not to hide it. Yes, she knew that they were watching, but she couldn't hold it in. She felt like she would go crazy if not.

"Dear God…" Hanji uttered.

"I-I started cutting myself after the first one. It was just something to dull the pain, b-but I knew it could go wrong! I knew that if I messed up, I could kill myself. I knew I wanted to, but I… I couldn't leave Eren and Armin behind like that… I stopped so I could be with them, but I…"

"Mikasa, you're extremely brave for facing what you had to go through. You're incredibly strong and you should be proud of yourself." Hanji stood up to stand by her, to offer her comfort and a shoulder to lean on. "You've endured far more than others have and came out of it alive. That's more than a lot of people can say…"

"But it still happened…"

"You can't look at it that way. It was a coping mechanism. It was the only way you knew how to handle the pain of losing your babies." Mikasa fell into her side, eyes shut tight as she cried. She kept trying to hide her pain; why Hanji couldn't understand. It must have been just her way of trying to deny the loss of them, to forget it ever happened.

It was never easy, but she knew that this was painful in a whole different way for her.

"Mikasa…" Hanji said softly and kneeled down beside her chair. "The jury is going to want proof of things like this… Will it be alright if we took pictures of the scars on your arms?" She asked.

Mikasa looked away, as if contemplating the idea. It probably wasn't easy to think of, but that should have been obvious. She tried to hide them already by means of long sleeved shirts and sweaters.  _Anything_  that would hide them.

"I'm only asking, because they'll want the proof. If not by pictures, they'll probably ask to see them in person."

"Okay…" Mikasa cleared her throat and answered.

"You don't have to. I just thought it would be easier for you."

"No, I want to. I can't hold anything back, or this will never end…"

* * *

"Levi…" Erwin said in his deep voice, eyes drifting over to the older man. Levi looked over at him without moving his head, eyes seeming to glare at him, but that wasn't the case.

He wasn't mad at him. He wasn't even upset with him. This was just hard to hear. This was his family after all, and he couldn't stop thinking about the past. Had he managed to fix himself up, he could have taken Mikasa in. He could have spared her this terrible life.

The scars on her arms, the loss of her kids; it would have never happened had he been better and taken care of her when her mother (his sister) and her father died.

"Maybe it would be best if you went to check on Eren and Armin. Go make sure they're doing okay." Erwin suggested quietly, but it wasn't just a suggestion. It was an order.

"I'm fine." The officer stated coldly.

"No you aren't. I can see your nails digging into your palms." The blonde pointed out. "Go on. Go cool yourself down."

"… Yes sir…" Levi sighed and pushed himself out of his chair. He left the room quietly, eyes adverted from the mirror as he left just as Mikasa began rolling up her sleeves.

He didn't need to see it. He was still reeling about all of this information, his nerves fried. He hated this, hated what happened to her, Eren and Armin, and if he didn't cool down soon, he'd end up doing something he'd regret.

Erwin was right. He needed a moment to himself.

Before heading over to where the two teens were hiding, Levi found it best to grab a medicine kit. He wasn't much of a doctor, but it didn't take being one to know that the cuts and scrapes littering Armin's body were infected. They needed to be treated, and quickly. With that in mind and med kit in hand, he wandered over to the office.

It was late, so mostly everyone was gone by now minus a few officers and desk jockeys here and there. It was quiet, which was why the two of them had taken to the room instead of the waiting room, where it was smaller and people were still waiting. They'd gone to the corner of the room where Petra's desk sat, and Eren had pulled up and extra chair to the desk so the two of them could sit side by side with each other.

Honestly. They flaunted their relationship sometimes.

Armin was barely in his seat, leaning against Eren with his head pressed firmly into his neck. Eren's head sat atop of his, eyes closed and breathing even. Levi wouldn't have known they were actually awake had it not been for the occasional twitch in their lips as they spoke quietly to each other or the way Eren's thumb grazed the back of Armin's hand softly, repeatedly.

It must have been a welcomed feeling after having to admit all of the things earlier. Having time to sit together, no worries or fears. Just them. It must have been a nice change in pace.

"Hey…" Levi said quietly as he walked up to the two of them. He didn't want to bother them after everything that had happened, but treating Armin's injuries was a top priority.

The moment he heard his voice, Armin instantly recoiled into Eren's side. It was out of habit though, the obvious regret filling his expression when he laid eyes on the older man. Eren simply pulled him closer and smiled up to the officer when he saw him.

"Hi, Captain Levi…" He said, voice scratchy from the excessive use.

"How are you guys doing?" Levi asked, but just from looking at them, he could already guess the answer.

"Doing better…" The brunette answered, which was mostly the truth.

"That's good… I brought this over for you guys." Levi said and held up the medicine kit. "We already got the pictures of your injuries, Armin, so it's probably best we get those covered."

"… Right…" Armin answered softly.

"I think it's best if Eren does it too. I don't think you want to be touched by me after earlier." Levi lightly joked. Armin smiled weakly, but they both knew there was some truth to that. After Levi had pinned him in the basement, he was probably skittish around the man.

"Sure…" He agreed. Eren took the first aid kit with a small smile and went about the task of taking care of Armin.

First he went about putting on the antibiotic ointment. Each little scrape, the ones on his lips and cheeks, even the bits on his neck were thoroughly coated in a thick layer of the cream. It was probably too much, but he didn't want to miss a single spot. After that, he applied band aids where they were needed. Of course he couldn't put them on his lips, but spots like his cheek, his forehead, even on his collar bone were covered.

He didn't miss a single spot.

"Captain Levi..." The silence had settled in, but that meant that they had time to think for themselves. For someone like Armin, that was dangerous. It meant he had time to reflect on things he shouldn't have been thinking about.

"Hm...?" The officer hummed and tilted his head.

"Why didn't you kill him...?" Armin asked quietly, eyes barely drifting up to the older man.

"Armin...?" Eren mumbled his name in question.

"You said you had a gun. You had the chance to kill him, so... Why didn't you?"

He wasn't sure what this was about. Was Armin feeling revengeful or guilty? Was survivor's guilt eating away at him, or was he so angry with the outcome that he couldn't accept it?

"Can I ask you a question, Armin?" Levi asked as he kneeled down in front of the two. Armin nodded his head silently, ignoring the way he bypassed his question for a question of his own.

"Sure..." He said quietly.

"Do you know what happens to pedophiles in jail?" The older man asked him while looking deep into his blue eyes.

"... No," Armin shook his head as he thought it over. He never bothered to wonder it, but then again, he never had the time to.

"Well let me give you an idea." Levi spoke. "When I was younger, I used to get myself into quite a bit of trouble. I was in and out of jail every now and again for... Unpaid parking tickets."

Eren's face contorted in a stiff expression. He knew there was more to that story, but wasn't going to say anything. He was only proving that he knew the real story, and that Levi was lying.

"One of those times, the jail cell next to mine had three guys in it. The newest guy came in, bragging about how he had kidnapped and raped a two month old from an amusement park. He thought he was all big and tough for it, thought that he owned everyone for it, but when night came, he was proven wrong."

"What happened...?" Armin couldn't help the question that bubbled up.

"That night I had heard the guards open up their cell... And for hours, all I could hear after that was the man screaming for them and his cell mates to stop what they were doing." Levi told him. He saw the way goosebumps rose up on both of the teen's skin.

"What were they doing?" Eren asked cautiously.

"Raping him of course. That's what my cell mate told me anyway. He said it was the same thing with any child loving pervert. It didn't end that night either. Later the next day, in the showers... I'll never be able to erase what I saw from my memories."

"They raped him again?" The blonde shuddered at the thought.

"Gang raped. Everyone took turns with him, and the guards let it happen." Levi leaned forward and pressed a hand gingerly into Armin's. For a moment the teen wasn't sure what to make of it, and even seemed a little defensive about what he was doing, but he wasn't pushed away. "I'm not much of a violent person anymore. I get my moments, but so does the rest of the world."

Once again, Eren made another face. Levi acted like he didn't see it.

"I let him live, Armin, because that man is about to get everything that's coming to him. Death would have been too kind for a person like him, so it's about time he got a taste of his own medicine."

"... But..." Armin began, making the older man frown. "I-Isn't that too much? I'm not worth that... That..."

"Think of it this way then. You aren't their only victim, Armin." Levi explained sternly. "You know they went after Eren and Mikasa, and lord only knows how many innocent people they went after. Maybe they even killed a few kids. We're going to find out, but you aren't alone in this."

Armin's big eyes, tired and swollen from crying, looked over the man carefully. What he was thinking, the older man wasn't sure, but he had a very familiar expression on his face that Erwin would have when he was thinking too hard on things.

That wasn't usually a good thing.

"Besides. I don't find useless death a very pleasing factor." The man added and let go of Armin's hand. Armin closed his eyes and sighed before leaning back against Eren, as if exhausted. He probably was.

"Okay..." Simple as that. No more need for arguing and no more need for trying to figure it out. He just wanted to rest.

"We're almost done, brats." Levi assured them when he saw how sleepy Eren suddenly seemed. "Just a little bit longer and we can get out of here."

"To where...?" Eren asked, but just as he did, his eyes drifted over to the doorway. Commander Erwin was walking out, and behind him was a very tired looking Mikasa. Her sleeves were rolled down now, but her body had recoiled like they were still up. She still looked protective over her secret.

Were Eren and Armin even aware of her scars?

"Stay here," Levi told them, but it wasn't needed. They didn't look like they could get up, even if they wanted to. He left their sides to go see the two of them, to make sure his niece was alright. He wasn't really supposed to, and Erwin was already pissed for him breaking that rule once (That he knew of), but just seeing her was all he needed. "How did it go?" Levi asked his commander when they met halfway.

"More or less okay. She's a little shell shocked, but she'll be okay." Erwin answered him, knowing the captain was truly worried for her. Levi looked past him arm to the teenager, finding the girl staring at him.

"You okay...?" He was in enough trouble already. There wasn't much Erwin could do to him at this point.

Besides fire him.

"Mhm..." She hummed and nodded her head. "C-Can I talk to you?" She suddenly asked, eyes looking up to Erwin for permission. Levi looked up at him as well, silently questioning the man. It was easy to see that he was being ganged up on by the two of them, what with their cold and dark gazes on him and silently questioning him (It felt like an order from both parties).

"It seems I'm outnumbered here…" He sighed and rubbed at his forehead. "Take your time."

"Thank you, sir." Levi said and reached for Mikasa's hand.

"Thank you," She said softly and let herself be lead to a nearby alcove. The rain was pelting the windows, so any conversation between the two of them would have been covered by the sound. That, and there was a padded seating on the hard wooden bench. It would suffice for her.

"What's wrong, Mikasa?" Levi asked her as he helped her sit down.

"I needed to talk to you… I-I didn't want anyone else knowing…" She said softly, eyes looking out the window to the busy streets.

"What is it? You aren't sick, are you?"

"No, at least I don't know if I am…"

"So what is it?" Levi sat beside her, leaning against the paneling as he looked at her. Mikasa's dark eyes lifted, looking over at him with an expression that could only be defined as defeated.

He hated seeing such a strong girl like her look like this.

"You were listening…" Mikasa spoke quietly. "You know about the babies… And my scars…"

"I walked out of the room before you rolled up your sleeves. I wanted to give you some peace." Levi told her, hoping to give her some peace of mind.

"… I appreciate that… But it doesn't do anything." Mikasa leaned her head against the glass, a heavy sigh leaving her.

"Is that why you wanted to talk?" Levi asked. "I upset you…?"

"No…" Again another heavy sigh. She seemed reluctant to talk about whatever was on her mind. "I haven't told anyone this yet. Only Eren and Armin know about it… Can you keep it from Doctor Hanji and Commander Erwin?"

She looked up with pleading eyes, as if she were ready to cry. Levi really hated that, but he had no choice but to give her his honest answer.

"I don't think I can do that, Mikasa. I'm not supposed to be talking to you to begin with…" He answered her, watching her expression drop. He leaned forward in his seat, pulling her hands into his own and squeezing them carefully. "Whatever it is though, Mikasa, I promise to help you through it. I'm not going to let you go through this alone."

He felt the obvious shudder through her body as much as he saw it. Any minute now he'd see the tears in her eyes. He'd see her break down again. He'd have to face it eventually, but just a little longer. He needed her to be strong for just a bit longer.

"… T-The babies…" Mikasa began, her voice shaking as she swallowed. "There were six of them… B-But there were two I carried to full term."

"Two of them…?" Levi asked, eyes widening in surprise as she nodded her head.

"I-I never saw them though. When I had them… H-He took them away."

"Okay, okay…" Levi mumbled and pulled her close. Mikasa's head fell against his shoulder, and the first droplets of tears began to soak through his shirt.

"I-I don't know who they belonged to, b-but they were my kids… I-I don't know where they are, or if they're… If they're even alive…"

Levi wrapped his arms around her thin body, one around her waist and the other on her shoulders, hand at the nape of her neck. He kissed the side of her head gently, not sure what good it would do, but if anything, he just wanted to assure her that he was here.

"Okay…" He had nothing better to say. Nothing better to do. His realm of expertise ran out here, leaving him with nothing to do but hold her and hope he could bring her some form of comfort.

"Levi…" Mikasa lifted her head and looked at him, her black eyes glassy and pleading him, begging him for answers. "I-I don't know if they're even alive right now… B-But could you help me find them?"

"Of course," Levi didn't even need to think twice about it.

"I don't know if that comes easy for you or not, or where to begin, b-but I-"

"Mikasa." Levi grabbed at her arms and held firm, but with a force that wouldn't scare her. He needed her to listen after all. "Nothing is going to stop me. I don't care how hard it is. I will find them, even if it kills me."

"… I-I just want to know what happened to them…" Mikasa fell apart again, her skin quickly wet with her tears.

Levi held her close, close enough to feel the tears dripping against his neck. Close enough to feel her breath against his skin as she cried out her pain. He didn't care if anyone else could see it. Fuck the wandering eyes. She needed a shoulder to cry on, and he would be there for her.

"And I'll find them. I'll find out what happened to them." The older man assured her. Mikasa smiled weakly against him, hands trembling as she held onto his shirt.

This type of closeness wasn't normal for her. She was so used to just Eren and Armin's touch, the feeling of them against her as she slept or the way they held each other to stay warm in this harsh winter.

Levi's touch was different. It was warm in a way that wasn't meant to keep her warm for the sake of living. It was warm and comforting, welcoming. She vaguely remembered feeling this way in the times he used to visit. When she was just a kid, young and naïve, and Levi would visit as just an uncle to her. During those times, she would pretend she didn't hear him and her mother arguing about things that didn't make sense to her at the time.

Money, addictions, or bribery. None of it made sense. Now it did, but that didn't matter.

This wasn't the same man as before. He wasn't there just to look for something from her mother and say a few simple words to her. He was here to stay, here to protect her, and he wasn't going anywhere.

"I'll figure out where they are, Mikasa. I promise…" Levi told her as he rubbed the back of her head.

"Thank you…" She whispered softly and reveled in the warmth for just a bit longer.

"I'd do anything for you. I hope you know that."

"I know…" Mikasa sat up after a passing glance over to her siblings. Armin seemed to be sleeping, though she knew he was awake, but Eren had been watching them with keen and worrying eyes. He'd been wondering what the conversation was about, and what had been said to make her fall apart like that.

"You going to be okay for now…?" Levi asked her as he pushed her bangs from her face and tucked them behind her ear.

"Yes…" She said with a sigh of relief. Nothing had been resolved, but admitting the truth had taken a lot of weight off of her shoulders. It was enough to make her smile a small, weak smile, but it was a smile all the same. "If I'm with them, I'll be okay." She mumbled and motioned over to the two teens.

"Let's get over there then. It's about time everyone got home." Levi said and stood up. He held out his hand once again, wondering if she'd take it. He didn't think she would; the first time was just because she was falling apart, so he was glad to see her do it. "Come on."

"Okay…" She agreed lightly and followed him back to the others.

"Are you okay…?" Eren asked before they were even within ten feet of them.

"I'm okay, just… Some unresolved things." Mikasa answered, but the smile was still on her face. It was a genuine smile, so it was easy to believe her response, even when he knew there was a possibility that it wasn't true.

"Wanna sit down with us?" Armin mumbled sleepily.

"I think it's good if everyone gets some sleep." Levi answered for her and placed a hand on his hip. "You look like you're about ready to pass out, Arlert."

"'M sleepy…" He admitted with little remorse.

"I can tell."

"So… What happens now?" Eren asked, his lips forming a frown.

"What do you mean?" The older man asked.

"I mean… Mikasa goes back with Hanji… I-I go with you… And Armin…?"

"Oh…" Levi uttered softly. "You're worried about that."

"Of course I am. I don't want him sleeping in a jail cell." Eren defended him. The sudden shift in his mood seemed to pull Armin out of his sleepy state, enough to at least grasp some of the situation.

"And he won't." The officer assured. "I was talking with Erwin earlier. We figured it'd be best if, just for a few nights, the three of you could stay at my place."

"Really…?" The brunette asked, his spirits lifting.

"Only for a few nights, of course. I figured we could head back to my place, order some pizza and watch some scary movies until we piss ourselves, but you guys seem pretty tired. Like I said, Armin seems about ready to pass out. We could save that idea for later and just rest for tonight."

"No…" Armin spoke up weakly, pulling attention onto him. "… I-I like the idea."

"You sure you can stay awake for that long?" Levi jokingly asked, but Armin nodded his head.

"For pizza." He answered in a soft tone.

"We'll get a really scary movie. Maybe then our screams will keep him up." Mikasa suggested. Eren and Armin smiled at the suggestion before the brunette leaned over to kiss Armin's forehead. He barely reacted to it besides a tired smile as Eren stood and helped him to his feet. He staggered, but he had momentarily forgotten that he wasn't in heels. He forgot about the sneakers they had loaned him and the warm clothes that kept him from freezing.

"Are you okay…?" Eren asked him.

"Mhm… Forgot I was wearing sneakers." He provided, making Eren laugh lightly.

"Anyone want to place bets on when Armin falls asleep?" Levi asked as he pulled Mikasa close by her waist.

"I think he'll fall asleep in the car." His niece said, not meaning it as a joke or insult, but just an observation.

"I think he can make it." Eren told them, but just as he did, Armin faltered.

Levi and Mikasa saw it before Eren could, but he soon felt it. The slip of Armin's hand from his grasp as the blonde fell and hit the ground hard. The cold spot that was suddenly present beside him where Armin should have been, but wasn't.

Instead, he now lay on the ground, out cold, and this wasn't a deep sleep. This was something else, something worse.

Something was wrong.

"Armin!" Eren cried and dropped to his side.

"Mikasa, go get Erwin!" Levi told the girl before falling to Armin's body. She was gone in an instant, leaving the two of them with an unconscious teen who Eren shook over and over again.

"Armin! Armin, get up! Wake up!"

"Eren, back up!" Levi told him and pushed his hands away. Eren didn't like that, not at all, but he had no other choice. All he could do was watch helplessly as the man pushed his fingers into Armin's neck and waited.

"What's going on?" Commander Erwin asked as he entered the room, Hanji and Mikasa close behind.

"Erwin, call a bus!" Levi yelled back at him.

His pulse was weak, almost impossible to find even. It shouldn't have been like that, and a lack of sleep wouldn't do that to someone. Something else was wrong, really wrong, and he needed medical help before it got worse.

"Armin no! Wake up, please!" Eren begged and shook Armin's shoulder. "Please wake up!"

"Hanji, get Eren and Mikasa out of here!" Levi told the woman as she ran up to them.

"What…? No! I'm not leaving him!" Eren cried, but Hanji's hands were already pulling at Eren's arm, lifting him from his place beside his childhood friend and taking him away. "No, no! Let me go!"

"Come on, Eren. We need to go-!"

"No! I can't leave him alone!"

Eren's outburst wasn't helping the situation at all. Levi could only spare a passing glance to Mikasa hiding behind Erwin, quickly seeing the sudden fear in her eyes hidden away by her hands. This was just as frightening to her as it was for everyone else.

"Come on, Armin. Wake up," Levi said quietly and tapped at Armin's face. He rolled him onto his back, not sure what else to do, but he didn't want to sit here and do nothing. He had to do something, if anything.

"Let me go, damn it! I-I want to be with him!" Eren kicked within Hanji's grasp, screaming at the top of his lungs, but it wasn't helping. No, of course it wasn't helping. They had no idea what was wrong, why Armin had suddenly passed out or why he wasn't waking up. It had to be something bad, however. Bad enough to lower his pulse and leave him unconscious.

They wouldn't know until he was at a hospital. It was just a matter of time.


	26. Time to Heal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry guys~! It was moving week last week, so I was busy. I left you off at a reallllly bad place. ^^' Anyway, I would just like to point out a thingy really quick before we continue. It just has to do with Hanji and Nanaba, our genderless wonders. So, as far as any of us are aware, they aren't really stated as one or the other. From what I've read, Nanaba is the same way, but I have her as a she in my fanfic. I actually did not know about Nanaba being genderless (Is it okay to say that? e-e) Until much later. So she will continue to be a girl throughout the fanfic, but I am aware of her position in the manga. The same with Hanji. I know they don't have a gender, but I got so used to referring to them as a girl that it's just a bit of habit that I can't seem to break. For the sake of the story, we'll just keep going as is for now. ^^ Okay, that's all!
> 
> Have a good first day at school if you already aren't there! Back to just weekend updates. Y_Y
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Beautiful Liar
> 
> By: (VIXX) LR

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 26: Time to Heal**

* * *

They'd been sitting for what felt like hours. Time ticked by, and even though it had only been an hour and a half since they had arrived at the hospital, it felt like an eternity.

The clock on the wall was getting louder. Each tick was beginning to sound more and more like a taunt. There was nothing else to occupy their young minds besides the television mounted in the corner of the room, but that could only provide meager distractions.

This was too much. It was too quiet.

"I can't do this...!" Eren leaned over his knees, hands covering his head to quiet the voices in his head. He was thinking too many things at one, and it was causing a lot of pain.

"It's alright, Eren." Levi said and touched his shoulder. This was the first time in what felt like forever for Eren to suddenly jerk back from his touch.

"It's not alright!" Eren cried into his lap, his body shaking.

"I'm sure Nanaba will be out soon to tell us what's going on." He assured him, but he didn't know that.

"It's taking too long! Something is wrong with him! H-He's sick! He's dying! He's-!"

"Eren Jaeger," Mikasa growled and pulled on the fine hairs at the nape of the brunette's neck. Eren whined and sat up quickly, but he was met with a stern glare that had him recoiling into Levi's side, like he was being punished by his mother. "Stop assuming so much. Armin is strong. Really strong. He can make it through this... Whatever this is…"

She didn't seem very convinced with her own words, but if it meant helping her brother relax, then she had to be stable for him. She had to be a shoulder to lean on.

"That's right, Mikasa." Erwin stated calmly. "Nanaba is the best doctor here, so whatever this is, she'll fix it."

"What if he's done something to him though?" Eren asked, his voice shuddering at the thought. "What if he's poisoned him or something?"

"Then we'll find it before it can do too much damage." The blonde man spoke with such positivity and authority. It was no wonder why he was the commander, and as such, he needed to lead.

"We'll know soon enough. I'm sure of it. Nanaba wouldn't leave us in the dark," Levi told him.

He had to believe that, even if he felt like he couldn't. He had to have faith in Nanaba and her abilities. She really was one of the best within their corrupted city. She was smart and new exactly what to do in situations such as these, so whatever was wrong with Armin would be fixed.

He had to hope for that.

"Armin will be fine. I'm sure of it." Erwin said, and like a silent, little prayer had been heard, the door to the waiting room finally opened.

They had been jumpy with each person who walked in and out of the door, eyes on it and looking for the cropped, blonde hair and a doctor's get up in hopes she'd be there soon. This time, unlike the others, it really was her. It was like she had performed some grand entrance when she walked into the room. At least it seemed that way by their reactions.

"Nanaba...!" Eren cried and jumped up to meet the woman before she could get very far. "How is he? Is Armin okay? What's wrong with-?"

"Eren, calm down." Nanaba said quickly, cutting him off.

"How is he?" Erwin asked as they met up with her.

"Armin is just fine. All of the stress over his head finally took its toll on him, but this is only a little fainting spell." She assured them. "His blood pressure and blood sugar had dropped drastically as well. He's severely dehydrated, but we've got an IV in him now for fluids and some antibiotics running through his system."

"I thought he ate all of that food." Levi remarked and looked up to the commander.

"You also said he puked it all up." Nanaba reminded them. "He's been under a lot of severe pressure, and it was just too much for his body. He's going to be just fine though." She assured them.

Both teens sighed in relief, Mikasa leaning over to rest her head on Eren's shoulder.

Armin was going to be okay.

"W-When can we see him?" Eren asked the older woman.

"He's asleep right now, and for a while I'd like to keep it that way so he can rest, but you can go sit by him if you'd like." She offered to them.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to hold them over. It was enough to assure them and see with their own eyes that he was and would be alright.

The two of them nodded their heads before leaving out the door she'd come from, leaving the adults alone in the room. That was when Nanaba's kind expression fell for something less appealing.

"So what's the bad news?" Erwin asked as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I didn't want to say anything in front of them. I wasn't sure if they knew about it yet."

"Knew about what? He's okay, isn't he?" Levi asked her.

"More or less. While he was out I decided to do the rape kit like Erwin suggested... I've never seen so much scarring in one place before." Nanaba rubbed at the back of her neck, the topic heavy on her mind.

"Is it recent?" The older man asked.

"Define recent." She told him. He didn't like the sound of that.

"Within the week?" Levi clarified. He hated seeing the way the woman's head nodded.

"I don't know if it's from work or their pimp. Nothing down there is infected, and as far as I can tell, he doesn't have any sexual diseases."

"That's something to start with. We knew this was a possibility when we couldn't find him." Erwin said and ran his fingers across his scalp, ruffling up the usually tame strands of blonde hair. "Did you see anything that could be evidence?"

"Nothing to the naked eye. I'll know more when his rape kit has been put through the system." The woman explained. "Have you gotten any answers from them yet?"

"Yes, but I can't say." Erwin reminded her.

"Right..."

"Levi, why don't you go keep them company? I need to talk with Nanaba for a bit." Erwin suggested quietly. This was his polite way of ordering the man out of the room, but it sounded far nicer than just saying 'get out'.

"Yes sir..." He was beginning to hate this term, but he'd caused enough trouble for one day.

Yesterday in fact. It was late into the night, or rather, it was early into the morning now. So much had been going on that no one other than Armin had gotten a wink of sleep.

Soon, he figured. For now the man left the room and headed down the hospital hallway that smelled like hospital grade disinfectants and medicine. Armin's room was to the right, but he didn't go in just yet. He looked in first, making sure he wasn't interrupting anything between them.

Inside, Armin lay in his hospital bed. Like the doctor had said, he had an IV in the back of his hand, little drops of Saline coming down from the bag hanging from its pole, and it was already half empty. Was it supposed to be like that already?

He looked like a fragile doll in that bed. His hair was splayed out on the pillow beneath his head, and the clean, white sheets and pillow casing made him look drastically pale by comparison. He looked weak and sick, like someone who was dying, but Nanaba had assured them that he was fine.

He had to believe that.

Sitting beside his bed were Eren and Mikasa. Eren was in the chair closest to him, his hands cradling Armin's own smaller hand and holding it against his cheek. He looked like he was about ready to cry, but he was just barely holding it together.

For now.

Mikasa was sitting beside them, her hand resting on Armin's stomach. She was carefully rubbing her fingers along his ribs, as if soothing him, but he was fast asleep. It would take a truck to wake him up. In fact, he probably wouldn't have noticed it if a truck came crashing through the wall at this point.

"I hate this..." Eren said barely above a whisper. Levi could hear it due to the dense quiet within the halls.

"Hate what...?" Mikasa had asked just as quietly. More than likely they were keeping their voices down so they wouldn't wake up the slumbering blonde.

"This." Eren said, his hands squeezing Armin's tightly. "I hate seeing him like this... He shouldn't be in a hospital bed. There shouldn't be any reason for him to be here. He doesn't deserve it..."

If Eren's physical appearance was anything to go by, then his voice should have given it away. He sounded like he was holding back the visible tears in his eyes.

"I agree with you," Mikasa said softly.

"Neither of you deserve this hell."

"You don't either." Mikasa used her free hand to rub Eren's back, nails lightly scratching at the fabric of his blue hoodie. "Doctor Nanaba said he'll be fine though. He just passed out, that's all. It's not like it's a first."

"But there should be no reason for it..." The brunette brought Armin's free hand to his lips and kissed his palm a few times. There was the slightest twitch in the blonde's expression, but only from the movement. He wasn't waking up anytime soon.

Levi sighed to himself, having felt bad and guilty for eavesdropping on their conversation. He stepped out from behind the door and into the room quietly. Curiosity slipped into his mind, wondering if this conversation was going to continue, but it seemed to be at a standstill.

"Hey..." He spoke up quietly. Mikasa turned in her seat, but Eren looked over without moving his head, as if glaring at the man. "How is he?"

"Sleeping still." His niece responded gently.

"Must be nice. I just realized how late it was... Or early really." Levi corrected himself as he walked over to the adjacent side of his bed.

"He looks peaceful..." Mikasa mumbled as she looked down at her sibling. "Sick, but peaceful..."

"Like he hasn't slept well for weeks..."

Levi heard the hitch in Eren's tone near the end of his sentence. It was in the way he said the word  _'weeks'_ , like the  _'s'_  wasn't supposed to be there to begin with. He had meant to say week, but at the last second, he slipped in the plural form to ignore what had transpired all throughout the week. He just wanted to forget that it ever happened.

"I'm sure Nanaba slipped him something to keep him asleep." Levi stated. "He's probably on cloud nine right now."

"Sounds pretty nice." Mikasa laughed lightly, her fingers clenching. She probably meant it.

"Yeah. I'm sure we'll be out of here soon. We'll head home and get some well-deserved sleep." The older man assured them as he walked around the bed.

"I think Eren is just about there." Mikasa said, noticing the way Eren's head was leaning against his propped up arms. His eyes were closed gently, as if he was already out cold, but one quick mention of it and green eyes opened up quickly.

"I'm not sleeping..." He mumbled, his voice slurring.

"Try to rest, brat. We don't know how much longer we'll be here for." Levi told him and rubbed his back.

"I'm okay..." Eren's head lulled to the side before he lowered it and Armin's hand. He used his arm as a pillow to prop his head against the bed, and within minutes, he seemed to be as deep in sleep as Armin.

"Looks like pizza night is postponed." Levi added quietly.

"It can always happen another night." His niece provided. "I'm tired too. I probably would have fallen asleep in the middle of it."

"Oh yeah...?" The older man questioned and patted her head.

"Yeah..." Mikasa lowered her head down onto the bed and closed her heavy eyes, as if ready to let sleep overcome her tired senses. They didn't know when they would be leaving, so it was best to get some shut eye while she could.

"I'm proud of you," Levi spoke up, out of place and out of character for him. Mikasa peeked out of the corner of her eye, too tired to pick up the meaning behind the words and too tired to really appreciate them for what they meant. Yes, he was saying something that meant a lot, but her mind had checked out long ago. It had been a long night, and early morning, and she hadn't slept well the night before. She couldn't comprehend the meaning at all.

It wasn't like she had time to either. Erwin walked into the room with Nanaba, Hanji having joined them within the time they had been separated and standing behind them worriedly. Erwin looked lest skeptical than he had before, and Nanaba looked less concerned. Whatever they had spoken of seemed to calm both of their frayed nerves, and a collected and calm Erwin meant things were going well. Levi had learned of that years ago.

"How's he doing?" Hanji asked quietly, noticing how the teens were sleeping. Mikasa was close to it, so she didn't want to bother waking her tired senses.

"Good. Still sleeping." Levi told them and pulled Mikasa's bangs from her face. Her eyes barely twitched at the motion.

"Looks like everyone has checked out." Erwin commented.

"I'm about to join them." Levi added and turned his head to cover up a yawn. He hadn't realized how tired he was until the kids had fallen asleep.

"It's probably best that everyone goes home to sleep in a proper bed." The commander said quietly.

"And Arlert...? Is he staying overnight?"

"To run a few more tests, yes. He can go home first thing in the morning." Nanaba said.

"So am I taking them home then?" Levi already knew the answer, but he wanted to confirm it.

It wasn't what he thought at all, however.

"Actually, I think it would be best if Eren went home with you and Mikasa with Hanji tonight. The plans we made were a little last minute, so I thinks it's best if we just try again tomorrow." Erwin explained to him.

"Are you sure...?" Hanji asked.

"Yes, I think this would be more beneficial for them. Armin can come home as soon as he's allowed to, and we'll pick back up where we left off."

"And you plan to tell them that?" Levi asked as he looked down at the two sleeping teens.

"How heavy of sleepers are they?"

"Mikasa is a light sleeper." Hanji answered him.

"He's not, but I have a feeling it's going to be a bitch pulling him away from Armin." Levi assured them as he placed a hand on Eren's shoulder. "Hey, Eren..." He whispered.

As Hanji moved to wake Mikasa, Eren groaned in his sleep. His eyes tightened within his sleep and his nose scrunched up in that way it did when he was mad or frustrated. He didn't like being woken up, that much Levi knew already, but he didn't have a choice.

"Come on, Eren. Wake up. It's time to go home now." Levi rubbed his shoulder carefully, waiting for some form of reaction from him. Eventually, green eyes opened. Dazed and confused, Eren looked lost between falling asleep again and trying to figure out what had woken him up. "That's right..."

Those sleep-filled eyes lifted to look up at him. It wasn't a hardened glare like before, but a soft, caring glance up to him. It was meaningful in all of the right ways.

"Hi..." He mumbled sleepily.

"Come on, Eren. Let's go home."

"We can go back now?" He asked hopefully, his head lifting up and freeing up Armin's forearm.

"Yeah, you and I can go home and get some rest..." The older man responded.

"... W-What about Armin...?"

"Armin is going to stay a bit longer to get a few more tests. Mikasa is going to go back with Hanji for the night."

"B-But-!"

"Eren, it's only for tonight." The officer assured him and gripped his shoulder firmly. He looked over to see Hanji's progress, but Mikasa had been awake for a while. She was a light sleeper, which meant she had woken up long before their conversation started and had heard every bit of it.

She knew.

"As soon as you wake up, you and Captain Levi can come get him." Nanaba told them.

"What if I woke up at three?" Eren asked sarcastically, but there was some genuine curiosity behind his words.

"Eren," Mikasa reprimanded him quietly.

"I'll also have two men standing outside of Armin's door. No one other than medical personnel can get in, so he'll be completely safe and well-guarded." Erwin told him.

The brunette's frown deepened considerably at the idea of leaving Armin behind, but did he have a choice? He knew Armin was safe, but he had just gotten him back. He didn't want to lose him yet, even if he was safe behind these doors guarded by Erwin's finest.

"Just for tonight, right?" Mikasa asked skeptically.

"Just for tonight. Armin can come home tomorrow morning and pizza night will continue as planned." Levi told them.

Eren stared at the blonde in forlorn. He didn't want to leave him, but it was just a few hours, right? He was safe and sound, so sound asleep that a train couldn't wake him up. He couldn't have been any safer here.

"... Alright," Eren finally agreed, but reluctantly. Levi patted his shoulder gently before helping him and Mikasa to their feet. His niece still seemed too lost in a fog of sleep to properly function, so it was for the best when Hanji helped her from the room.

Eren lingered behind, his eyes looking longingly at the blonde in the hospital bed. He didn't want to do this. He really didn't want to do this, but he had no choice. He had to leave him behind, but only for a few hours. If he managed to fall back asleep, those few hours would go by in an instant. He'd be back before he knew it, but oh, it was easier said than done.

"I won't let anything happen to him." Erwin assured him when he saw his lingering stare.

"I know…" He knew it from the bottom of his heart, but the hesitation was still there.

The brunette sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned forward. He pressed his lips softly into Armin's forehead, a small little gesture that spoke more for him than it did anyone else. It wasn't noticed by the teen who slept on peacefully, but it was something more for him.

Whether he was verifying something within his head or reassuring himself that Armin would be okay, he wasn't sure anymore.

* * *

It was one in the morning when they finally got back to Levi's apartment and settled for the night. Eren went straight to his room, not a single word uttered to anyone or anything. Levi worried about that; the last time he had done that, he then later ran off. However, when he checked on Eren ten minutes later, he was snuggled under the blankets of his bed, seemingly sound asleep.

That led to the older man lying in his bed, eyes staring at the neon-colored numbers of his alarm clock, watching time slowly tick by on the other.

He couldn't sleep. He was so tired before, but after a dose of cold, fresh air and a bit of driving, he was wide away. He couldn't possibly fall asleep now with all that was on his mind.

Mikasa's words kept rumbling in his head, the fearful things that could have happened to her children still present in his mind. The tear stained expression worn by Eren as he admitted the sinful things that had been brought upon him and that he had committed in order to survive. The way Armin's eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed and the way his pulse felt weak under his fingers.

It was all there permanently engrained within his mind.

It was things like this that he could never forget. Years from now it would be unimportant. It would mean nothing, and it was better just to forget and move on, but it would never go away.

This made him begin thinking of other things that wouldn't leave his mind. Forever stained his mind was of his little sister in a hospital bed, something similar to Armin's situation. How weak, small, and fragile she looked. Isabel was a tough fighter, but never before had he seen her so broken and tiny. Farlan had been angry. He was awake, heavily dosed on pain killers, and furious. He refused to talk to Levi at any point in time, an obvious sign that he had royally fucked up.

He'd never forget. That had been six years ago, and yet the memories were as fresh as the day they had happened. He shouldn't have been thinking about them, letting those painful memories resurface and tear open at his scars, but in the dense quiet, surrounded by darkness with the illumination of the city outside his windows, the voices in his head wouldn't quiet down.

Was this what Eren meant when he said the voices in his head got too loud?

Half an hour had gone by. Half an hour of uselessly staring at a clock before he finally rolled over onto his back. He needed to stop this, but he didn't know how. Some useless TV possibly? That would mean he would have to go into the living room, turn it on, and risk the chances of waking Eren up. More than likely the brunette would be pissed if that happened, so it was best to let him sleep.

Maybe reading a book then. Reading made people tired, and it was a quiet activity to do. He remembered regretfully though that those were in the living room too, and he'd read them all multiple times. He'd read them so many times in fact that he could probably recite a few inscriptions from within them.

There would be no point in cracking them open and trying again.

As Levi continued to contemplate what to do, a task that seemed to be taking up more time than necessary, there was a knock on his bedroom door. Levi sat up within his bed just as the door opened, a figure peeking its head into the room to look at him. It wasn't so dark that he couldn't tell it was Eren, but the darkness did well to cover up most of his pained expression.

"Eren…" Levi mumbled quietly.

"Sorry for waking you up…" The brunette apologized. Levi could hear the rasp in his voice, tired and begging for a decent night of sleep.

"What are you doing up? Didn't you go to bed an hour ago?" An hour hadn't gone by, but it felt like it had.

"I-I tried, but I…" Eren's hands fell to the bottom of his pajama shirt, wrenching the poor fabric between his fingers like there was no tomorrow.

"What's wrong, Eren?" Levi asked him and sat up further within the bed.

"… C-Can I sleep with you?"

There was no more need for pride. His pride be damned, he had been through too much tonight to care anymore. He didn't need to be strong. He didn't need to put on a façade to fool people.

What he needed was comfort and someone to be there for them. He was a strong kid, but not right now. Right now, he was just a kid. He'd given up trying to be someone he wasn't.

"Of course," Levi wasn't going to deny him a shoulder to cry on.

Eren closed the door behind him before softly padding his way to the bed. He sat on his side (It became his side after he'd fallen asleep with him a few nights before) and tucked himself in, but when he looked up to the older man, green eyes wide and pleading, Levi opened up his arms for him. A place to cry, to let go. That was all this was.

Eren abandoned his spot and curled into Levi's side. His arm became a pillow for him, his neck a soft place to hide himself and let himself go. He hated knowing that he'd probably stain his shirt and the sheets with his pitiful tears, but the flood gates had broken. The walls he'd built up were torn down tonight, and that left everything on show.

"It's going to be okay, Eren…" Levi said softly and wrapped his free arm around his shoulder. The brunette's fingers fisted his shirt with a death grip, knuckles turning white as he tried to hold himself back. His breathing came out in heavy puffs of air, hot and sticky against the older man's neck, but he didn't complain.

Eren sobbed. He blatantly let go of everything there was weighing his shoulders down, the dam that had been there now gone. He was an utter mess of thick, unrelenting tears, swollen eyes, and heavy breathing. It seemed endless as well, like he would never stop. Levi didn't expect him to either.

Three years of pent up anger, frustration, sadness, and agony was a lot to lose. It would be a long time before Eren could function as a normal person again and get his life together, but he already knew that, didn't he?

That's why he was letting it out now.

Levi didn't say anything more after that. He held Eren close, rubbed at his back, his head, anywhere that could help him calm down, and watched time go by. It was a massive spell to break, and after thirty four minutes (He bothered to count each individual minute Eren was in pain), he finally relaxed.

After a moment like that, it was no surprise he was left with a slight hyperventilation. His throat kept constricting on him every time he breathed in, and every time he breathed out, he'd cough. His body was shaking, his grip weakening by the second, but Levi stayed quiet. He pulled him closer and closer until there was no room left for even a movement of a limb, pushing the boundaries. Eren had never been so close.

He didn't seem to mind at all.

Ten minutes later, his breathing finally settled. His congested nose made it hard to breathe, but he managed through his mouth, letting out tiny, quiet puffs of air against Levi's now damp skin. His fingers played with the frayed parts of Levi's shirt, pulling at a simple string attached to one of his buttons. With his arms trapped between their chests, there was nothing better to do.

He head was stuck under Levi's chin, trapped between the comforts of his embrace and wanting to look up. He didn't know if the officer was awake or not; if he was, he had stopped moving a while ago.

He wanted to look at him. He wanted to look at the face of the man who'd changed so much in just a week. No, it had been longer than a week now. Were they getting closer to two? It didn't feel like it, and yet it did. It felt so unreal, so unusual. No one would believe that he was a prostitute, or more so, he  _was_  one. He was beginning to forget the idea himself.

It wasn't easy to accept. That it happened. That is was over. Or was it?

"… What do I do now?" Eren's voice was broken from the incessant crying.

"What do you mean?" The older man asked and leaned back to look at him.

"I mean… I don't know what to do." Fresh tears burned at the corners of his eyes as the idea slipped into his mind. He thought he had finished out for tonight, but maybe that wasn't the case.

"About…?" Was he trying to make him say it?

"Everything," Eren answered honestly. "I-I don't… My dad is gone… Armin is in the hospital because of me… What am I supposed to do?" A lingering tear slipped down his cheek, one Levi gladly wiped away with the backs of his fingers. "Tell me what to do…"

Eren was looking to him for answers. He'd been doing it since he got here, though it had been unintentional at first. He hadn't meant to seek help where it was given, but now it was being asked for. Now it was wanted, but he didn't know what to think. He didn't know what to do.

"I think that's for you to decide, Eren." The officer answered and pressed his fingers into his cheek. "It's your life. Live it how you want to."

"But I… I-I just want this to be over." The brunette finally admitted.

"If you want it to be over, I know what you can do to end it."

Eren looked up at him with hope filling his green eyes to the brim. The idea that there was an answer was something he didn't think could happen. There was never a solution, never an answer to make his problems to go away. Levi had one though? Levi knew what to do to make the pain end? For it all to end?

"What is it…?" He asked. Levi knew what he was thinking, and he hated getting his hopes up.

He wasn't going to like this answer.

"… You have to testify against Grisha." He admitted it coldly and without clemency. Serious and straight to the point. There was no holding back.

" _What…?"_  Eren asked in ugly surprise and sat up. The sudden movement had Levi's arms falling back to his sides, but he was quick to follow him.

"Eren-!" He began, but the brunette wasn't giving him a chance to speak.

"No! You never said anything about seeing him again! You never said anything about talking to him, o-or facing him! I thought this was over, but you want me to go against him now?"

Eren was no less than shocked. He didn't think an idea like this could be suggested, but it had been, and Levi had been right. He really didn't like it.

"That's the only way this will all be over!" Levi told him and touched his arm. "If you want him in jail, you have to present the evidence of what he did to a jury…"

"Why would they ever believe me? I'm an eighteen year old fucking prostitute!"

"That was pimped out by your own father!" He exclaimed. "Eren, we have enough evidence to keep him in jail for life without probation. If you don't do this, systems can't promise him life. He may get out, and then what? Eren, you would just be prolonging the inevitable."

His words made sense. If, by such a chance, that he got out of jail, what would happen? Would he come after them again, or would they be left alone? No, of course they wouldn't be left alone. This wasn't over, and it wouldn't be over until the judge gave them a sentencing.

"If worst came to worst, you'd get a restraining order against him, but I know you don't want him to have contact with anyone who can come towards you." Levi reminded him. "He needs to stay in jail where he belongs, Eren. I know that's tough to hear, and I don't want to have to say it, but that's how it is. If you want some form of peace in your life, you have to put up with this for a bit longer."

Eren whined deep within his throat before falling back against the man. His face was once again hidden in his shoulder, eyes weeping and breathing heavy. Levi's shirt collar was rung out by his hands, tugged and pulled on to the point where he could hear seams pulling open. It was just a night shirt, so he didn't care what happened to it; what he cared about was what it meant.

Eren was in so much pain, so mental that it was hurting him physically, that he could gain the strength to pull apart the stitching from his shirt. He wasn't the weakest, but he wasn't the strongest. It took some effort to do that, and he seemed to be doing it with ease.

"You have to keep fighting, Eren. Fight until the end. This is the only way you can live a normal life with Mikasa and Armin. This is the only way to can breathe a real sigh of relief."

"… H-How long would it be before we went to court?" Eren asked weakly, as if mulling over the idea. He must have heard the stories of cases that were forever lost in time, never to be in a room, never to be presented to a judge.

"I can't say for sure, Eren. Erwin has a lot of say in the higher power though. I'm sure he can work the case ahead into the system, considering he's done it once or twice before."

"So…"

"Could be weeks. Could be months, maybe even years." He had to be honest, even when he didn't want to be. "With the severity of your case, it could take days. Grisha's arrest warrant is out already and the search for him is on in more than two hundred miles around the city limits. It may not take too long."

"And if it does…?"

"If it does, I'll take care of you…" He assured him. "Whether you like it or not, you're kind of part of the Ackerman family now. You're Mikasa's brother after all… I'm not abandoning you guys. I'll make sure you are safe with a roof over your heads and food in your bellies."

Eren lifted his head and looked up with tinted red eyes. The words were filled with a tender care he'd only heard from Mikasa and Armin, and yet they were upsetting. They meant a lot and more than anything could have meant, and he could see by the emotion in the officers normally apathetic eyes that he meant it all.

"While I'm doing that, I'll make sure you get the help you need. I'm not going to let you walk around with these ideas in your head. I'm going to make sure you heal and have a more positive outlook on life. You're young, Eren, with a long, good future ahead of you. You need to see that and then work for it, alright-?"

He was cut off all too quickly by the press of lips into his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So was that a worse way to end a chapter compared to the last one?


	27. I'm Trapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah... We're back bitches. *Shot* I'm sorry for this long wait! You know how I am when it comes to stuff like this. Plus with moving and work and stuffles. Seeing the AOT live action, planning my trip to Japan this month, and I'm far enough in that we're getting some hurricane weather. :3 But that doesn't stop my writing! Nope!
> 
> ... I'm just not writing smut while at work.
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 27: I'm Trapped**

* * *

He didn't have much of a reaction at first.

His eyes stayed open, judging the situation, looking at the face attached to his so closely, so intimately. The lips against his were soft, gentle. It wasn't rushed, but out of practice. A hand came up to the nape of his neck to rest, very timid in its search, but adamant about what it needed to find.

He knew exactly what that was.

After a few moments, the realization of what this was hit him hard. It had him withdrawing despite the hand holding him in place and pushing Eren away at once, who looked utterly relaxed.

He shouldn't have looked that way.

"Stop." He ordered, but he cursed his luck at the tiniest hitch in his breath. Maybe Eren hadn't heard it? With his luck, he probably had. "Go to your room."

Levi pushed at the brunette's shoulders to put distance between the two, but it seemed that Eren had different plans. It seemed he had another idea entirely.

"No...!" His voice bordered a hushed screech, his hands clinging to his shirt to pull him back.

"Yes, Eren."

"N-No, you don't understand!" He told him and dropped his head. He couldn't look up into that hardened, grey gaze of his.

"I understand perfectly, Eren, and that's why you need to go to your room." The older man explained and tried to untangle the mess that was Eren's fingers in his shirt.

"No, you don't-!"

"I do." Levi stopped him before he could continue, catching that terrified look that Eren was trying to hide. "You're upset, emotional, and traumatized after what happened tonight. You're looking for some form of physical comfort. That's not going to fix anything, though. Having sex with me won't make you feel better."

"It's not like that!" Eren argued and shook his head. Levi could hear the small sniffles muddled by his position, but he had to stay strong. He couldn't break to this. "It's not... Not like that at all..."

"If it isn't, then why don't you talk to me about it?" Levi asked and held his hands within his own, feeling the bone crushing grip still tight on his shirt. "Instead of just doing, let's talk this out."

"I-I can't... C-Can't belong to him anymore..."

The nearly silent admission had something click together in Levi's head.

This wasn't about Armin. It had nothing to do with him in fact. This was about  _him_. It was about him and these terrible emotions bubbling inside of him, eating him away and ruining him.

He knew these thoughts and feelings all too well.

"Oh Eren..." Levi sighed and pulled Eren close. His chin tucked into the crook of the older man's neck as he continued to whimper in pain, but the arms around him and the sound of someone else's breathing was already a sweet relief.

"I-I can't do it anymore. I can't. A-All I ever feel is him on me. H-His hands, his lips. I can't... Please..." The brunette begged as his body visibly shivered.

His shirt was finally freed, but only so Eren could wrap his arms around him, searching for security. This wasn't something he could give to him though. This wasn't something that could heal him, and he knew it.

"Eren-" He began, but he was beat to it.

"I-I'm trapped in this hell I can't pull myself from. I can't do this alone. Fuck, if I could I  _would_ , but I can't, and I just…" Eren lifted his head to look him in the eyes, green eyes wet and pleading.

"Eren…" He tried again, but the brunette saw his answer within his eyes.

"No, please. You don't understand." Eren told him, his nails scratching lightly at the nape of Levi's neck.

"I wish I could say that, but unfortunately I do." Levi lifted his hands to touch his arms, some form of comfort or security. Either one would have to suffice. "Eren, you know I did the same things. You have to know that I felt this way too."

"But you-!"

"But I know it doesn't always work." The older man pulled his hands away, but only to hold them. He needed to put distance between the two of them, but he needed to do it in a way that didn't make Eren think he was pushing him away. He needed him to be there for him, but he couldn't let him get this close. "Trust me, Eren. I tried."

Eren shook his head, eyes shut tightly like he was trying to block out the truth. He whined deep in his throat, and while the officer knew he was in pain, he couldn't hold back. He had to tell him.

"I lived it, Eren. You remember me telling you about Farlan, right? Well he was there for me like you want me to be. He was always there for me, even after I had slept with some of the most disgusting people this fucked up world has to offer. He knew how I felt, but even after going so far, sometimes… Sometimes it didn't work."

"Don't…" The brunette begged him.

"Even lying in bed with him was hard. I still felt their hands on me. I still felt them touch me in ways I didn't want them to, and no matter what he did, I never felt clean."

"Stop it…" Eren dropped his head, eyes still closed tight.

"I know you think this will make you clean, Eren, but it doesn't always work. There's still that chance that you'll feel disgusted with yourself. It could even turn you away from your partner, and you don't want that right?" Levi held his arms in a firm, but nonthreatening way as he tried to catch his eye.

"There's still a chance…" Eren whispered weakly, his body leaning forward until he could lean against the man before him.

"I know, Eren… But I don't want to risk it."

"Please!" The admission from Levi had him lifting his head once more, eyes wide and emotions like terror and agony present. His hands shook as he grabbed at the man's nightshirt, anything to give himself leverage. "Please, I-I can't keep going like this anymore!"

"What about Armin…?"

He knew bordering this subject was a dangerous route, but he figured this was the only way to get through to the brat. It seemed to work too. Eren instantly recoiled, leaning away from the man and tears slowing. He didn't look as terrified, but more so scared. He looked worried, and for what? He had to figure that out.

"Armin…"

"What about him, Eren? You love him, don't you?"

"I-I do, but I…"

"Then wouldn't it make sense to wait for him?" Levi felt the grip on his shirt relax, but the hold was still there. "I know he loves you too, so there's not a doubt in my mind that he wouldn't do it for you."

To that, Eren shook his head.

"No… I-I can't keep putting that burden on him… I've done so much to him already… He's still guarded, and sometimes I can't even touch him. So I…"

"You mean he doesn't like being touched at all?"

"Sometimes he can't… He can't handle holding hands. There are times where he can't even handle it if I or Mikasa brushed up against him. I can't ask so much of him just for my selfish needs…"

"So you decided it was best to ask me?" Levi asked with a slight drop in his voice.

"Because you've been there! If anyone would know how I feel then it's you! You're the only person I can come to about this, and… And help me…"

"Eren…" Levi sighed.

"Please, please, please…" Eren pleaded with him, his breathing heavy. "If you need to, you can close your eyes. I won't make a sound, and you can just pretend I'm a girl. Y-You don't have to touch me or-"

"Oi, brat!" Levi quickly stopped him with a hard shake to his shoulders. He didn't mean to scare him, but the idea of what Eren was suggesting was too crazy for him to comprehend. "If I were to do this, it wouldn't be with anyone but you. I wouldn't imagine some girl or someone else. It'd be with you and only you, got it?"

Eren's eyes were wide from surprise. He hadn't been expecting an outburst like that, but now that it had happened, he wasn't sure how to react.

"So… You'll do it…?"

Levi sighed. He hadn't meant to open up that can of worms so to speak, but now he had. He hadn't meant to say or even imply that he'd do it, but he knew where Eren was right now. He knew how much anguish and mental trauma he was going through, but this wasn't going to make things better.

So why was he thinking of agreeing to it? This wasn't going to help at all. Eren needed therapy and a shoulder to cry on, not a one night stand.

Why him even? Well, that was a rhetorical question. He was the only one who could do it. Or rather, he'd be the only one willing to do it. Everyone else Eren would seemingly trust would turn a blind eye to him. They'd ignore the request, think him crazy, and then what? Eren wasn't going to a crazy ward anytime soon, as far as Levi had anything to say about it, and if Armin couldn't do it, then who?

He was looking for someone to do this for him. He was looking for help, and the only option for help was him. Eren trusted him and only him to do this for him. That was all there was to it.

"Eren…" Levi sighed once more, his fingers running through the fringe of his hair. "… If we do this, we need to set up some rules here…"

He didn't want to do this. Of course not. This went against so much, but Eren was right. He had lived this painful life before, and at times, the only way to feel secure was within someone else's grasp. Eren knew it just as much as he did, but he also knew that Levi would do anything if it meant keeping him safe and alive.

"Really…?" Eren's expression lit up in a mixture of relief and happiness. He looked utterly relieved to hear his agreement in all of this. "C-Captain Levi, thank you! You have no idea how much th-!"

"I do." Levi interrupted him bluntly. "And that's why I said we need to set up from barriers here. This isn't some cheap one night stand, but there are just some things we can't cross."

"Of course…" He agreed reluctantly. He didn't know what kind of barriers the officer was referring to, but he had a feeling some of them wouldn't be good. "… L-Like what?"

"First and foremost, this is between you and I. No one else needs to know about this, not even Mikasa or Armin. If this gets out, it's not just me that's in trouble."

"Obviously, but I wouldn't tell anyone in the first place." Eren told him. "I don't want Armin to find out about this."

"Secondly, this is  _for you_ , Eren. Not me. If at any point you're in pain, you're uncomfortable with anything, or you just need to stop, you need to say something. Don't be quiet about it. This is supposed to help you after all, so pushing yourself won't do any good."

By the expression on the brunette's face, something told Levi that he hadn't thought about that. He hadn't thought that they could stop, or  _would_  stop even. He hadn't thought that he needed to be comfortable with anything. He just wanted to do it for the sake of being clean, but he hadn't bothered thinking about how it would go.

All Eren knew was pointless, mindless sex. He probably thought about other things when he used to do it with random strangers on the streets, and how sad was that? He never bothered thinking that at any point in time, he actually needed to care for the partner he was with.

"This is me you're doing this with, Eren. No one else but me. I want you to know that too."

"Yes sir…" Eren agreed weakly. Obviously this was beginning to take its toll on him.

"No formalities either." Levi added and reached up to caress his cheek. Eren looked up with his big, green eyes, as if pouting, but there was still a hint of relief behind the overpowering emotions in his expression and the light dusting of pink on his cheeks. "Just Levi, alright…?"

"Alright…" He agreed once more and leaned forward. His lips were merely an inch from the older man's before Levi pulled away slightly, his head tilting to the side. Eren stared at him with some confusion, not understanding what caused this.

"That's another thing…" Levi spoke quietly, his hand falling to Eren's shoulder. "No kissing."

"Why…?" Eren asked. Obviously he knew what was involved with sex, and kissing was one of the many things in it. So why was it not happening here?

"Kissing has gotten us in a bit of trouble, don't you think?" Levi asked as he moved forward. His lips barely skimmed the prominent bone of his jaw before pressing into a pulse point. He could feel the heartbeat under his skin, so fast and unmatched to his.

"S-So what's this then…?" Eren asked, goose bumps rising on his skin and shivers going down his spine.

"I meant on the lips, brat." Levi answered him. Eren tilted his head to the side with a sigh, eyes closing softly as his body took in the sensation.

This was so gentle. So calm and slow and not what he was used to. In a way it was unsettling even. He wasn't used to this slow movement, these gentle touches and caresses, and just a soft breath beside him. It wasn't rushed, wasn't frantic, and he wasn't used to it.

His face contorted into an expression similar to pain, his eyes opening to look at his surroundings. Not a broken down apartment, but a warm, comforting room with minimal comfort compared to the man pressing his lips to the shell of his ear.

It wasn't natural like this, was it? It couldn't have been. Levi had said to tell him if this was too much, but he had gotten his consent. How could we waste it now that he had it?

In a quick panic, Eren's hands darted down to the elastic lining of the older man's pants. He pulled, but in his position, he could only get one side to go down his hip before Levi's hands were stopping him entirely.

"Hey, you need to slow down." Levi growled, more so to himself than Eren. He was still surprised and oblivious in himself that he agreed to this.

"I-I know, but I… I'm not used to this." Eren admitted weakly. He didn't want to lose this opportunity, but he wasn't used to this type of attention either. This tender affection was beyond his world, something he'd only received from Mikasa and Armin. This was too new for him to handle just yet.

"I can stop." Levi said. He was still willing to drop this, but after Eren's head shook furiously, he knew that the brunette would be too stubborn to let this go.

"N-No!"

"Then you need to relax, Eren…" Levi said, his hands falling on either side of his head. Eren felt trapped this way, but somehow, with a soft stare in a warm room, this wasn't as threatening as before. "We need to take this slowly. It's supposed to be slow..." Levi pressed a kiss below Eren's ear, lips fluttering over his skin as he spoke in a deep voice and trailed his kiss further down. His fingers moved over his neck, nails lightly scratching until they reached the fine hair at the nape of his neck to play with.

"Sensual..." The older man's tongue licked a slow strip back up Eren's neck to a pulse point and sucked. He felt Eren's body convulse under his, his head voluntarily tilting to the side to allow better access.

The whole point of this was to get him relaxed, to make him slow down, and it seemed to be working. He was taking the time to enjoy it more, to appreciate it more, because between the two of them, this would be the only time this would happen. If he really wanted to feel clean, he needed to feel like this was the first time he would ever have real sex, not a quick fuck. He needed to believe in this fantasy they were about to create.

"And believe it or not, most couples call it love making, not fucking."

"Nh..." Eren hazily replied as his hands crept up his back, shaking as he gripped his shoulders. Levi took that as a good sign as his free hand traveled down his clothed chest.

If he was going to do this, he was going to make sure Eren was one hundred percent comfortable. Eren couldn't move away from his touches or feel any pain. There would always be some in the beginning, though Levi questioned it with Eren, but he was going to make this feel as good as possible.

Sex wasn't what people saw on TV. It wasn't what it was advertised as, and truly not as good as porn stars made it out to be. It also wasn't quick mindless sex either. There was an emotional tie to it, no matter what people thought. A person bared everything to another person and did something that began the day humans were created by whatever means. It was mating, if one wanted to think of it like that, but it tied animals and humans together. It was a natural instinct, but it was never advertised as that.

It was only meant to get someone off. It also wasn't always rape though. It could be better if it was done right, and chances were, with how Eren used to lure drunken men in for money, it never was. This was his chance to make sure Eren never looked back, to feel cheated on and hate all previous experiences. He had to make sure this taught Eren something, but he couldn't really control how Eren perceived it, could he?

"Eren..." Levi whispered and touched the brunette's cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Look at me...?" He pleaded with the teen.

Green eyes had been shut tight, his body still shaking from a leftover fear, but the moment they looked up into dark eyes, focused on him and only him, the tension in his body lessened. He must have been thinking the wrong things, and at this point that wasn't okay. He couldn't focus on the negative experiences, especially not when Levi was doing this for him.

"Keep your eyes on me. Don't look away. It's me that's making love to you, okay? No one else but me." Levi assured him, fingers brushing his bangs from his face.

"Captain..." Eren breathed while his hands moved to his hips.

"Levi," The older man corrected. "No titles when we're like this. Just Levi." He reminded him.

"Levi..." Eren said on a shuddering breath. That helped relax him.

"Good..." Levi sat back on his heels while his hands slowly moved down his body. The teen's body rolled into the touch, legs separating farther to give Levi the room he would need. He turned his head away, but he did exactly as Levi asked and kept his eyes on him. He needed to think of only him, and Levi was glad he understood that now.

Levi looked down to where his hands fell, which was his hips. The fabric of his shirt had ridden up some, and the elastic to his sleeping pants, though this may have been an accident, had rolled down to reveal his prominent hip bones. The older man's fingers wiggled under the hemming of his shirt before fluttering up his abdomen, nails lightly scratchy his tan skin as the backs of his wrists pushed his shirt up.

Eren sighed as his head tilted back, his body arching into the touch. He felt the cool air against his heated skin as his shirt rolled up, an ache running through his burning veins. The need for this was strong, even when his mind protested to it. He'd had those bad experiences before, and yet his body always asked for more.

He felt it shameful really. Shouldn't he have been accustomed to the displeasure by now?

"Eren," Levi said in a reprimanding tone. "You're thinking about other things..."

"No, I'm not..." He replied hazily.

"Yes, you are. If you can't focus on this, Eren, then I'm not going to continue." He warned him. Levi's hands barely left his body before Eren snatched them back, panic and fear obvious in his wide eyed.

"No...!" He exclaimed in panic. "Please, don't stop! I-I'll stop thinking that way! I'll stop! I promise! I'll-!"

"Relax then, Eren..." Levi said softly despite the reaction and despite the painful grip on his arms. The boy visibly trembled before taking in a deep breath.

He was trying. Levi knew this wasn't easy, but he was really trying. It was a genuine attempt to wash away everything, and even with all of the pain and suffering he'd been put through, it took a lot of courage and bravery to try and fight this. His method may not have been the best of them, but at least it was something.

"I'm sorry..." Eren apologized. Levi nodded his head in response, knowing and understanding Eren's actions to the fullest.

"It's alright. You're doing well." He told him as his hands were released.

His fingers fell back to the previous task of bringing goose bumps to his heated flesh. They grabbed at the hem of his shirt once more and pulled up, allowing the fabric to pull over his head. Eren lifted his back to allow the material to slip off before leaning against the headboard, giving himself a better and more comfortable position to work with.

Levi's lips fell to his collar bone, lightly sucking on the soft skin there and teeth nipping at it. Eren hummed quietly, so quiet that no one else besides him would have heard it. This was a decent sign of improvement, which was an obvious OK to continue.

"L-Levi…" Eren breathed out. It'd been a while since the teen had said his name without a title in front of it. He'd gotten caught up in calling him Captain that it stuck, so hearing his name now had shivers fluttering through him.

"Hm…?" Levi hummed against his skin.

"Y-Your shirt…" Eren whispered, his cheeks flushing a dark red. He didn't need to finish his sentence for Levi to know what he was implying, and that was fine. This wasn't an easy task for him to accomplish, and why he thought pushing himself was a good idea he'd never know.

Levi sat back on his heels and began pulling on the buttons on the top of his night shirt. He only got through a few of them before Eren reached out for the bottom of his shirt to pull on the buttons.

Somewhere along the way, Levi had stopped his task to watch him. Eren's hands were shaking, but there was a timid confidence in his eyes that he couldn't ignore. Eren wanted this. He wanted this more than he was admitting, even after begging for it. He managed the rest of the buttons on his own, only meeting his gaze when he found where Levi had left off.

He pulled back quickly, as if he had seen something in that gaze that had told him enough was enough. His hands fell back to his sides, and for a moment he looked like he was going to crawl away. However, Levi pulled his hands back to his chest, feeling his cold finger tips pressed into his warm skin.

"It's okay to touch me too." Levi spoke softly so he wouldn't scare him away. Eren nodded his head in understanding, but even as Levi began kissing at his shoulder, he did nothing. All he could do was tilt his head back, close his eyes, and melt into the sensation.

This was hard for him, but this felt nice. It wasn't like anything he'd felt before, and if it stayed like this, he didn't think he had much of an argument. He liked being touched slowly. He liked the feel of soft skin under his fingers, something different compared to roughed up hair or stained clothing. It was different, and he'd learned some time ago that different wasn't always a bad thing.

The older man's lips began moving over his pectoral, skin brushing against a pert nipple. The teen twitched into his mouth before Levi's lips enclosed over the skin, tongue edging along the hardened flesh.

"Hng… C-Capt… Levi…" Levi heard the way he corrected himself, an attempt to really put himself into this. If it wasn't for the skin between his lips, he may have actually smiled, but he was more intent on bringing him pleasure.

His fingers pinched and pulled lightly at the other nipple, making sure he wasn't ignoring him for a second. He felt nails lightly scratch at his shoulders, and for a moment he thought he was doing something wrong. He looked up quickly, but the face Eren was making.

Oh. This was why men always wanted him.

The expression he was wearing was erotic, but at such a young age, he looked so gentle. It wasn't even a good way to explain how he looked, but that was all he could think about. The way his brown bangs sat against his tan skin shining in the dim lighting. The way his lips, red and damp, parted to breathe and let out quiet whimpers. The way his skin was heating up, even in this ridiculously cold weather.

Perfect, and he shouldn't have been thinking that way.

Levi closed his eyes to block out his form, but the image was still engrained within his mind. The sight he'd seen wouldn't be unseen.

The officer mentally reprimanded himself as his lips began travelling lower. At first he placed some chaste kisses to his navel, making sure he wasn't pushing him. When he didn't get anything but some pleased sighs, he moved lower. His nails skimmed at the waistband of his pants, testing the waters by lightly pulling. He waited again, his heart pounding.

Eren had the chance to stop now. If he wanted to, he could speak against it and pull away before this got any farther, but he didn't seem to care. He didn't say or do anything besides wiggle his hips, giving Levi permission to continue.

The older man swallowed.

Was he really going to do this? There was still time to stop, still time to end it and tell Eren to go to his room. It would break his heart, but if need be, he'd tell him no and walk away.

No, that would crush his heart. He'd already agreed, and suddenly stopping would mess him up in ways Grisha hadn't even done yet. He needed to keep this in mind. He needed to do this for him. If Eren really wanted closure, he had to do it.

Levi took in a deep breath before sitting back and pulling Eren's pants down slowly. His underwear came with them, slowly peeling away the layers of clothing like he was pulling off the last of his dignity. All shreds of embarrassment needed to go along with it, because this was where the true intentions came into play.

He couldn't walk away now.

"Are you okay…?" Levi asked quietly as he set his pants down beside them. Eren's head nodded furiously, his cheeks a darker shade of red than before. His hands were between his closed legs, as if trying to cover himself. Somehow that didn't seem to add up with his answer.

"I-I'm okay…" Eren responded in a shaky tone.

"You don't sound like it." Levi stated with a slight hint of sarcasm.

"I-It's just… Cold." Eren looked away, his hands moving away to grip at the sheets. He was trying to open himself up more, but seeing how much effort on his part that took had Levi gently touching his thighs.

"Look at me," It wasn't a demand. He simply wanted a confirmation that he was okay before he continued. Even if Eren spoke something positive, he could have been lying.

The only way to find out the answer was to see it in his eyes.

Green eyes had been shut tight. When he wasn't sure, but when he was prompted, they opened up to look up at him.

Levi could see the stark fear present in his eyes. After what Levi had told him, there was no reason why he shouldn't have been. He wanted this to work, not fail, and he wanted to be happy that Levi did this for him, not be turned away. He didn't want to hate him for this.

"I'm okay…" He said on a breathless intake. Levi didn't really believe that, not when Eren's limbs were quivering, but he knew what Eren was looking for.

Levi sighed to himself before kissing at his knee caps. He could feel the muscles in the brunette's body tense up for just a moment, but when he realized what it was he was doing, he felt relaxed. Levi gave a few more kisses before sinking forward, lips slowly moving to his lower thigh. To his surprise, Eren's legs parted just the slightest. Not enough to get in between, but enough to know that he was okay.

Levi's fingers fluttered over his prominent hips, feeling the heat of his skin against the cool pads of his fingertips. His fingers massaged small circles into his muscle, languid strokes prompting for a more relaxed state from the teen. He knew it'd take him time, so it was of no surprise to him when minutes of just this went by.

Soft, gentle touches and caresses. Small, smooth kisses. What felt like hours was only minutes before Eren's legs parted again, allowing him his first glimpse of what was there. Maybe the brunette was expecting some sort of harassment, but there wasn't a bad word on Levi's lips that remained when he saw him.

Part of him was surprised. He didn't know why or what he was previously thinking about his body that could make him surprised, he just was. Another part of him was shocked and disgusted. Not at Eren. No, of course not. Never at him.

The disgust was towards the multiple scars that littered his upper thighs and  _there_. It was even more prominent between his cheeks, where the obvious abuse and force had been thrown against him. Finger shaped bruises littered his thighs, long since damaging and now pale. They'd be gone within a couple of days. There were scratches that looked recent, within the few weeks before he'd been with him. They were healing now, but that didn't change the fact that they were still there.

It was all there when it shouldn't have been. Eren shouldn't have had these marks on him. No teenager should have. He was only eighteen, and even if he'd been with someone, no one should have left marks in the form of pain on him.

How could anyone do this to him? To  _them_? Why did that man just throw them into this world where they didn't belong? They were too smart and kind to be here, and yet someone dictated that they deserved something worse without their permission and did it for them.

He was a sick man. What he had done to them had Levi's blood boiling in rage. What he'd put them through made Levi want to throw his fist into the nearest wall.

Why…?

"D-Don't look at me!" Eren immediately covered himself, his voice a high pitched whine as he curled into himself. Levi quickly withdrew his hands and held them up, a sign to show that he was listening. Eren wouldn't have seen the gesture with his eyes shut so tightly however.

"It's okay, Eren. I'm not touching you, see?"

"N-No, I…" The brunette didn't seem to know what he wanted anymore.

"It's alright, Eren..." Levi said softly. Eren peeked past his bangs to look at the man, seeing him still sitting back defensively so as not to scare him.

"I-I'm so disgusting..."

"No you aren't."

"My scars are hideous!"

"They're just symbols of the life you continued living, Eren."

The argument was weak at best, but enough.

"I wanted to live…"

"And you did. You have nothing to be ashamed of." Levi's hands carefully fell against his knees again, but there was no pull back. Eren stayed right where he was, content on just a simple touch.

"You don't… Think I'm disgusting…?"

"If I did, do you really think I'd be doing this?" Levi asked him. It was harsh, but it was his honesty. "What happened wasn't your doing, kid. That was never you, so you shouldn't be upset." His fingers made small circles, just a small gesture to help him relax under his touch.

"B-But it's so gross down there." Eren argued, his legs parting to look at himself. "I'm so deformed and morphed. Nothing is where it needs to be and-"

"Eren, are you talking about yourself or the scars?" Levi asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Myself…" He answered honestly.

"What makes you think that?" The older man continued to question. Eren opened his mouth to answer, but he found that no words could come out. He was tossed between giving his genuine idea of it and what he had been told was wrong with him. Either way, he looked and felt  _wrong_.

"Just everything…"

Levi sighed at his answer before standing. For a moment, Eren thought that was wrong. He'd said something bad, fucked up, and now Levi was leaving him. He always made the worst mistakes, and now, once again, he was paying the price. However, after a moment, he found his ideas false.

Levi stood up for a moment, but it was only a moment long enough for him to pull his sleeping pants down. His underwear came next, leaving the two articles of clothing to sit on the floor as he climbed back into the bed.

It was no surprise that those green eyes were looking there so curiously, so incessantly, trying to figure out what was going on here. He wasn't as hard as the teen was, but he was an older man. It took a little more to get him worked up, and that was to be expected. Although, he knew Eren wasn't looking at that. He was trying to figure out why he  _looked_  like him.

"See…?" Levi asked him while his hands bracketed the teen's hips. "Look closely, Eren. What do you see?"

"I-I see…"

"I'm not deformed. I'm perfectly healthy, and so are you. You were lied to, to the point where you even believed it, but you are perfectly normal." Levi's eyes followed one of Eren's hands as it lifted. His curiosity was reaching one of those high peaks again, wanting to touch, to  _feel_ , to map out and know this man. It wasn't even for the sake of pleasure. It was for his own understanding.

"I-I'm sorry…" Eren quickly apologized when he caught the older man's gaze.

"It's alright," Levi assured and moved forward. "You can touch me too, Eren. I won't be mad. That's how making love works after all." Levi explained to him.

"… Really?" Eren looked up with a strange form of hope in his eyes. In response, the older man touched the back of his hand, guiding it forward. He wasn't seeking out pleasure, just hoping to ease Eren's mind by giving him something tangible.

This was by no means right, but Eren had many problems. If they could tackle them one at a time, it was progress.

Eren's finger tips, cold upon contact, crept along his half hard flesh. Those fingers were curious, moving from prominent veins to the sac between his legs and back. This wasn't his way of pleasuring him; just confirming.

Levi sucked in a breath of air as his hands glided down his chest, hoping to add some comfort for him. Something in that response had Eren growing more confident. His hands formed a fist around his cock and tightened. Just like all of the other times, expect this time, he'd be watching instead of talking dirty. He'd be doing something with a meaning behind it.

"T-Touch me…?" Eren asked, hoping for something in return. He didn't feel right just yet doing this on his own.

Levi nodded his head before his hands moved to his hips once more. One trailed, falling past territory they hadn't sought before. He felt the brush of hot skin and made quick work of pumping him, trying to bring him to a blissful climax.

Truthfully, he hadn't done this in a long time. The last time he recalled where he had done this was with those men six years back, and that was it. The entire time in between then and now was spent on healing and working. Sure, it was uncomfortable at best, but he wasn't the one in need.

Eren was.

"L-Levi… Hm…" Eren's head leaned back into the pillows as he continued to stroke him. His hips rolled into Levi's touch, his body already remembering the sinful pleasures of before and responding to them casually. It shouldn't have been like that, and he knew it all too well, but he'd be damned if he didn't let himself have one good, memorable time.

"That's right…" Levi said softly, his breathing uneven.

It was just the opposite that was true. Levi had never bothered touching himself since six years ago, so he had completely forgotten what this sensation felt like. For a while, this foreign feeling was completely ignored, as if his body didn't ask for it. However, he was quickly reminded of his primal male instinct that needed to be satisfied.

His own touch grew more confident. With each passing minute, knowing that the chances of Eren running away were dwindling, meant that he could dare. His hand grew heavier, fingers dipping into the slit and under the head, running over veins. It had the brunette's toes curling, and that must have meant he was doing something right.

Eren made a sound from the back of his throat, his body arching. His own heated erection brushed into Levi's, and for a moment, just a quick moment, he thought he saw stars dancing behind his eyes.

Levi hissed behind his clenched teeth, feeling a sheen of sweat forming under his bangs. This wasn't supposed to be for him, but he couldn't deny his own desires. He couldn't deny wanting to touch him more, to feel him more, to even put it in and understand what it felt like inside of him.

He shouldn't have been thinking that way.

Levi moved forward, mouth catching his shoulder and leaving a kiss there. His lips, already damp, moved down to kiss and suck lightly everywhere he felt it necessary. His collar bone, his nipples, his prominent ribs. The further he moved down, the lighter Eren's grip was until he had no choice but to let go of him. His hand fell by his side instead, fingers curled into the blankets and hanging on tight for the inevitable ride to come.

Levi's lips eventually found his jaunting hip bones. He sucked again, but not so hard as to leave a mark. He couldn't do that. He  _wouldn't_  do that. If he got caught, it was all over. There was _something_  he could suck on, however, and after a quick glance up to confirm it was alright (The brunette's eyes were wide, green, and silently begging for it), his lips covered the head of his cock.

Eren let out another beautiful sound, so weak and broken, yet filled with energy from the pleasure. His head rolled back into the bedding, his hips instantly moving forward for another touch. He wasn't disappointed.

Levi's made quick work of licking up his member, trying to bring the teen to a height of pleasure he hadn't reached before. His lips eventually covered the head entirely and moved downwards, taking him as far as the cavities of his throat would allow. It wasn't easy, a sure sign that it had been far too long since he had last done this, but when the sound that came from Eren was released, he seemed to find it in himself to take him further.

"L-Levi! Oh s-shit!" One of Eren's hands quickly shot down to his shoulder, his fingers clawing into the man's shoulder blade like his life depended on it.

Even when it hurt, Levi couldn't really bring it in himself to have him let go. It was an anchor for him. That much was obvious.

Levi focused instead on giving him pleasure. The pain was a small distraction, but it wasn't enough to pull him away from the teen's need. Even more so, after a few moments, Eren was still cognizant enough to know that he was hurting the man. He was able to pry his hand off of his shoulder, but he was instantly seeking out another comfort, a less painful one. He grabbed at the man's arm and pulled, bringing his arm up until he could hold his hand. Their fingers became a tangles mess and his grip was brutal, but this was intimate.

Something told Levi that he hadn't done this with past men before.

"You okay…?" Levi asked once he pulled off, his voice hoarse and jaw aching from the excessive stretch. He kept his free hand stroking him though. He wanted to make sure he wasn't neglected in the slightest.

"Y-Yes…" Eren panted, his thighs twitching beside the older man's head.

How could he feel so close to his limits already? No one had made him even come close to climax as fast as this.

"Do you think you can keep going? You look exhausted already." Levi pointed out in observation.

It was true. Eren's eyes were glazed over in a fog of lust, but were also half lidded and wet with unshed tears. His breathing was heavy and frantic, and his limbs were shaking. He looked far past his breaking point, and yet that determination in his eyes, the hope he fought for was still there.

"I'm okay. P-Please… Don't stop." He pleaded with him, free hand coming up to his mouth so he could suck on the backs of his knuckles.

At least he wasn't biting himself.

"Alright… Give me a moment," Levi told him, and without letting go of his hand, Levi reached over the bedside table and began rummaging through a door. He never thought he'd need to use any of this, but he kept it just in case. He figured the chances of him relapsing, getting drunk and having sex with a random stranger were higher than the chances of finding someone he truly cared for and making love to them. Then again, he never thought he'd be using them for this either.

Levi found a condom packet hidden away under some of the junk in his drawer. Old paperwork mostly, with a few pieces of paper and pencils. An old phone charger he should have thrown out was tangled around a comb, but that wasn't what else he needed. Further into the back with the smaller items, such as paper clips and a box of tissues, was a bottle of lube.  _This_  he couldn't remember where he got it from. He couldn't remember when he got it, and quite frankly, he didn't care.

He set the items down beside Eren, letting the teen inspect them and get an idea of what was about to happen. The reality, if it hadn't set in just yet, would happen right around now if not. Eren seemed curious to the items, like he hadn't seen them before, but that was stupid. Of course he'd seen them before. The idea of how many people he ever bothered using a condom with what a different story entirely though.

Levi's hand went back to stroking at his cock, but he kept his eyes on the brunette. He had a very vague expression on his face, and it wasn't until he was pushing away the condom that he understood why.

"Eren…" He spoke in a disapproving and warning tone.

"I-I'm clean. I promise," He already knew by the way Levi hadn't stopped looking at him that he'd picked up on his idea.

"That's not why we need it, Eren."

"Please…?" He begged once more.

"Eren-"

"You know I don't have any diseases, right? Nanaba told you, didn't she?"

"Eren, it prevents them. I'm not going to risk your health or mine just for one night." The older man stated abruptly.

He wouldn't break for this. He wouldn't. It was an absolute must and he simply couldn't allow Eren to win him over with a little pleading.

The teen's bottom lip stuck out, but not intentionally. He was pouting, but not as a means to get his way. He was genuinely upset by this, enough so to have him turning his head away, avoiding the man's gaze.

"Fuck…" Levi cursed.

If he got a disease from this, it would be the end of them both.

Levi scoffed before swatting the condom off of the bed. Eren's eyes darted to find it in the dark, but it only took a moment for him to realize that it was intentional. Levi was really going to do this for him. He wanted to thank him, to hold his arms out for an embrace and cry on his shoulder, but he couldn't. Even when he wanted to, he felt it unnecessary at the moment. That, and Levi was already uncapping the bottle of lube and pouring it on his fingers.

He felt a sudden thump within his chest, his heart pounding like crazy.

"You need to tell me to stop if it hurts. I'm not pushing you through this, Eren. I won't rush it, alright?" Levi looked up at him with an irritated expression, but the brunette knew it wasn't towards him. It would be if he decided to lie about the pain though.

"Alright…" He agreed quietly. Truth be told, he didn't want to rush it. He wanted to go slow with this, because he'd rushed it plenty of times in the past. He wasn't very keen on the pain, or having to deal with cleaning up any messes left behind.

"I mean it. Warn me, got it?"

"Got it…" He repeated quietly. Levi sighed as he rubbed the sticky substance between his fingers. It had been a long time since he had last done this with anyone, and the sensation of it felt foreign to his fingertips.

"… You ready?" Levi asked while looking past his hand and down into big eyes. The teen's head bobbed in a positive reply, his arms gathering at his chest and legs separating. He was ready, but Levi could still see the subtle twitch of anxiety in his muscles. He was still afraid.

The older man resituated himself on his knees, his free hand touching the inside of a tan thigh. His hand moved slowly towards his destination, just to allow Eren to get used to the sensation. He didn't want to startle him right off of the bat, not when Eren was so willing to give everything up.

His heart was pounding in his chest by the time he could separate those round cheeks. His hand, still wet with the lubricant, moved slowly and carefully. His fingers touched around the entrance at first, simply testing the waters. He felt the jump in his muscles from surprise, but otherwise, he wasn't retreating.

That was his sign to continue, wasn't it?

He couldn't find it in himself to turn away anymore. His middle and index finger began running along the puckered entrance, pushing lightly, but not enough to penetrate. He knew what sex required, and it wasn't an instant push into an unwilling body.

"L-Levi…" Eren breathed out harshly, a hand suddenly reaching for him. "Y-Your hand…"

Levi lifted his free hand and held on tight to Eren's, their fingers once again a tangled mess. It was then that Levi began to push, his first finger barely pushing into the tight opening.

It wasn't as tight as he was expecting it to be, which wasn't normal. It must have said something about Eren's lifestyle if the first initial push in wasn't difficult. That shouldn't have been the case whatsoever. It should have been tight. There should have been resistance. His body shouldn't have been so willing to take in what he offered.

It was as he slowly moved his finger in and out, mimicking a thrusting motion that Eren's life was being laid out in front of him.

The teen had probably stopped counting the number of men and woman he'd slept with. He'd probably given up the idea that he would ever be celibate again in his life. He'd slept with dozens, maybe even nearing hundreds of men. He made it a goal to get as much money as he could, enough to cover him  _and_  Armin.

He had done whatever it would take and whoever it would take to survive.

He'd probably slept with more people than Levi ever had and ever would in a lifetime. Sure, he'd been around in his bad years, but he didn't make it a habit. It was only if he felt it necessary. For drugs or for money it didn't matter. He didn't do it often.

Eren had him outnumbered, and always would. He had experience in things Levi would never understand, even given his older age. Eren would always win him out, but if everything went right tonight, he should have been his last. Yes, Armin would be there later on, but for now it was him that was here. It was him with his second finger nudging, pushing the barriers and testing to see how much farther he could go. It was him making Eren's toes curl, his bark arch, his breathing frantic, and his eyes shut tight.

It was him and only him.

"How is this…?"

"D-Don't stop…" Eren begged him, his nails digging into the back of his hand.

How was this already pleasurable? Had Eren really been that prepared for this? Levi didn't want to think that Eren had spent the past hour preparing himself for this, physically or mentally. He didn't want to think that, but Eren was already so loose. It never took this short amount of time to prepare someone for sex.

Or maybe his body was just too used to it.

Levi sucked in a breath before forcing his fingers out at a faster pace. His fingers stretched and bent, pulling his insides apart to prepare him as much as he could for what was about to come. Eren's back arched in the most perfect of ways, his mouth open in a silent scream when he felt those fingers brush against  _something_  just right. He shuddered, suddenly curling in on himself. He'd do anything for another feel of it.

Levi's eyes widened at his reaction. He didn't think he'd done anything that good, but if Eren would react like that every time, he'd do it over and over again.

And he did.

Levi pushed harder, separated his fingers more, feeling the walls around him tightening and relaxing all at once. His throat constricted with the sudden pressure, his cheeks burning with an obvious heat from the sight of the teen writhing beneath him. For added measure, he released his hand and grabbed at his cock to stroke it as fast as the motion of his busy hand. It wasn't as fast, but enough to have Eren scream him name.

Levi felt a quick throb in his body, his erection straining and already leaking precum. However, he wasn't about to be outmatched by an eighteen year old prostitute. No, that couldn't happen.

In the midst of a heavy gasp, Levi slowly pushed his third finger into him. There was minimal resistance to it, and Eren was reeling. His throat was aching and his voice was suddenly straining with the amount of effort it took to breathe in and out in ragged gasps. His eyes were wide and wet with tears, his cheeks were flushed from ear to ear and down his neck, and he felt the all too familiar pit in his stomach building.

He wasn't going to last if Levi kept doing this to him.

"L-Levi! Ah, stop!" He cried and reached down to grab his hand. "Stop, stop!"

Levi quickly pulled his hands back at the request, fearing he'd pushed it too far. He didn't want to hurt him, but more importantly, he didn't want to scare him.

"What's wrong?" He asked and lifted his hands for Eren to see them, to show he wasn't going to touch him without permission. "Are you okay?"

Levi's dark eyes looked all over him, looking for any possible injuries that could have occurred within the time he'd touched him. There wasn't anything he could see from the naked eye. All he could find was Eren leaning back into the bed, breathing heavy and panting as he held his swollen member in his hand.

"I-I was gonna come…" He gasped, eyes glazed over in pure lust.

"That's the point of this, isn't it? Or is there some sort of new thing to sex an old man like me wouldn't understand?" Levi questioned sarcastically. Eren shook his head and looked up at him, pleading, begging for something. He hoped he wouldn't have to say it, but that didn't seem to register with Levi at the moment.

"Not yet…" Eren whispered and reached out to grab his arm. He pulled, quickly bringing Levi up to his level and nearly bringing him down. Levi managed to catch himself fast enough, staggering for a moment before realizing how close he'd come to Eren's face. He could feel the brunette's breath fan across his heated skin. He could see the tears lining his waterline. He even thought he could hear his heart beating, but that was probably his own pounding in his ears.

"Like this…" He said softly, his hand trailing up his neck and into the fine hair on the shaved part of his head. "L-Like this…" He stuttered before pulling him forward.

The older man didn't stop it from happening. He didn't stop the meeting of their lips, the arms wrapping around his shoulders. He didn't stop himself from participating in the actions, his arms wounding around the teen's waist as he kissed back like it was all he could do.

He pulled him up and off of his back, into his lap, and kept kissing him. Kept running his hands along his body and up into his hair. At some point, though he couldn't figure out when, their tongues began a sinful dance. The mingled breaths and moans as their hips grinded together were distractions to what was happening, and to what shouldn't have been happening.

He shouldn't have been doing this. He shouldn't have allowed this. He shouldn't have been kissing Eren back. Hadn't that been a rule? Hadn't he said no kissing?

They'd gone past a lot of what he didn't want to do. They'd already broken plenty of rules and taken it further than it should have gone, but there was no stopping now. There was no way they could take everything back or just stop. They'd gone this far, and the only way to see the end was to continue.

"H-Hurry…" Eren begged against damp lips, his hips rolling down. Levi growled deep in his throat at the sensation, feeling the lube drip down his thigh.

"Take it slow…" Levi told him. He still had some cognizance enough to spread lubricant on himself before Eren took it any farther. He was eager enough to do it dry, even if or when he was properly stretched. It didn't matter to him so long as the man put it in him quickly.

Levi had only looked down for a moment, a moment long enough to spread his cheeks apart and line himself up. Eren's hands cupped his cheeks and forced his head up, but it wasn't for anything but a kiss. A deep, hot, breathless kiss. He almost didn't realize when Eren began sinking down on him, taking him inch by inch. It wasn't until he gasped against his lips and bucked his hips that he noticed it, that he  _felt_  it.

His head tilted back, mouth opening wider as an uneven breath left him. Levi's hips faltered at the sound, dark eyes looking to him to make sure he wasn't in pain.

"I'm sorry..." He apologized quickly, jumping to conclusions. Eren whimpered, his head shaking while his hand blindly searched for the older man's. When he found it, his fingers gripped at his, becoming a mess with Levi's that bordered on uncomfortable, but Levi figured that this was just a little pain he had to take up. Eren must have been in more pain than this.

"No..." Eren whispered with a shaky breath. Levi tilted his head back down with a hand at the nape of his neck, trying to find that beautiful, green gaze of his, but his eyes were shut tight.

"If it hurts, we should stop." Levi told him, and he was answered with a frantic shake of the head.

"Mh... N-No..." Eren's hips rolled against his, pushing the man within him to move. He released a sound, something that sounded like a cry of pain. Levi quickly grabbed at his hips and held them firmly when he heard it, determined to keep Eren from feeling any pain.

"Don't push yourself, Eren." He told him and hissed when he felt the way he tightened around him. "T-Take it slow so it doesn't hurt."

"I-It doesn't," Eren breathed, green eyes opening up to him to beg for more movement.

"Don't lie."

"I'm not...!" Eren pushed his head into Levi's, cheeks brushing together to feel the heat burning under their skin. "It doesn't hurt..."

Even with his iron grip, Eren forced his hips into his again. The sensation was mind numbing, his aching cock rubbing into Levi's chest and causing a friction that had him babbling. Levi wanted to stop him, but he couldn't deny the pleasure. It felt good for him too, but pushing Eren was an absolute no. He had to make sure Eren was okay. He and his pleasure came before his own.

"Eren...!" He didn't meant to growl, but the teen's hips were insistent.

"Feels... Different..." Eren lifted himself only slightly, but it was enough to have the length buried within him pull out. With one quick push, it slide back in easily. The moan that left those red lips had Levi's body tensing. "N-Never felt so f-full... Shit..."

"Don't push yourself..." Levi tried to warn again, but he was losing out the battle within himself.

"Fuck..." Eren tilted his head back as his body began to create a pattern of movements. His hips would roll a few times before he began raising himself with his knees and impaling himself over and over on his cock. Levi even found himself working with that pattern, his hips rolling and pushing up into his when Eren came down. More or less, it drove the teen wild.

Levi leaned back, his elbows bracing himself as he fell to lay on his back. He lifted his legs up, pushing his knees into Eren's back when he noticed him falling over. Eren used his knees as a brace, keeping himself up to keep the pace coming. His hands sat on either side of the older man's head, eyes half lidded to look at him, to see his expression. He wanted to see the faces Levi would make while having sex- No. While making love to him.

He wasn't disappointed.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting from a man like Officer Levi. He wasn't expecting pure bliss to be written all over his face, but he wasn't expecting such a look of concentration to be taking over his features. He looked deep into thought while he focused on thrusting up into him, but what could he possibly be thinking about, and at a time like this?

"Levi…" Eren whined and leaned forward. Levi barely got a look at him before Eren pressed his lips into his own. The older man's hands grabbed at his hips as he kissed back, tongues battling it out for dominance. It was no surprise to the teen when he won, but he hadn't tried winning to begin with. He just wanted to keep up, and yet he found himself failing.

He had never been a very strong person. That much was a given. However, he considered himself pretty gifted in the ways of sex. He figured he could keep up, but had to remember that Levi wasn't drunk. He was able to keep going longer than any man he'd been with before, leaving him a panting mess. Panting from pleasure, yes, but also from exhaustion.

His muscles couldn't keep up anymore. His legs were straining to keep up his now frantic pace, his arms were aching with his weight, and his back was bowing to compensate his terrible position. His body was beginning to shake in protest, begging for a moment to stop, but he couldn't stop. He didn't want to stop. He was at a height of pleasure he hadn't reached and he didn't want to come down.

Levi could see the struggle he was dealing with. He could feel the pace slowing as he tried to catch his breath but keep it going. He saw Eren's arms buckle and his jaw slacken when their lips parted, and at this rate, he wasn't going to be able to keep himself any longer.

"Eren…" He didn't know when his voice became so raspy, but he really didn't care. His arms wrapped around his lower back and pulled him down, bringing him against his stomach. Eren's arms gave out quickly, allowing himself to rest while Levi helped maneuver them into a different position.

It took some time, but soon enough, Eren was on his back, Levi above him with his cock still carefully inside of him. In this position, the brunette could already feel the tip brushing against that bundle of nerves Levi had hit earlier, making his eyes roll back.

It was just too much. Was Levi trying to make him come so fast?

"Le-Levi…" He whined and rolled his hips forward. The officer got the picture, his hips moving soon enough. He started slow, because now he was on top. He could control the pace, and Eren didn't have enough energy to make it go faster. All he could do was dig his nails into his forearms and plead for more. "Hu-Hurry, please…"

He wasn't going to last at this rate. Even with the slow pace, he kept brushing up against that spot, that spot that was making his skin crawl, making his voice and body tremble. His nails kept scratching at him until he could feel the burn against Levi's skin, until he could see the deep, red marks imbedded in his skin. He had to do something to occupy him, or this would be over to soon.

Eren reached down in between them and grabbed at his leaking erection, placing his thumb under the head. This cut off the circulation and slowed the inevitable feeling of release down, a little trick he had learned from  _him_ , and it worked.

Levi didn't appreciate that though. He didn't appreciate that at all. This wasn't about endurance. It was about healing, and he'd make sure he'd get the message across.

The older man pulled his hand off of himself before threading their fingers together, a more sensual way of holding his hand down. Without the grip, Levi lost himself to the urges and let go of any restraints. His hips snapped out and in quickly, faster than what Eren could produce before, and damn. The choked scream must have meant something.

With his hand that had been holding himself up until this point, Levi grabbed at Eren's cock and stroked it as fast as he could. Eren keened, his head thrashing from side to side as he tried to cope with the pleasure, but it was becoming too much.

"S-Stop, I- Ah! I can't take it!" Eren gasped and moaned. He couldn't handle it any more. "I-I'm gonna come!"

"Then come," Levi groaned, feeling Eren's entrance tighten around him. He was being reminded of his own orgasm quickly approaching. "This isn't some e-endurance contest, Eren. Just feel it and let it happen."

Hearing how broken Levi sounded was all he needed to listen.

The brunette grabbed at Levi's shoulder with his free hand, lost between pushing him away and pulling him closer. He'd given up, given in, and let go, just like the man said.

His body froze up quickly, back arching, head tilting back, mouth open in a silent scream as his climax slammed through him. He could barely register anything, like his ejaculation landing on his stomach, being smeared by Levi's hand, or the sudden gasp from the older man.

He'd been so blindsided that he barely noticed Levi being so close, but the shudder that ripped through him was enough of a clue. All it took was his muscles clamping down on him to bring the man to his own peak of pleasure, and even when his body was spent, muscles weak and light, he managed to wrap his legs around the backs of the older man's thighs and hold him in place.

He wouldn't waste it.

He felt the burn inside him, watched as the officers face scrunched up in an expression of pleasure. Levi's hand tightened around his own as his body trembled, tense and barely able to move. He tried to pull out before it was too late, but Eren wouldn't let him. He could only choke out a morphed version of his name as every drop was emptied out inside of him.

It was almost a foreign sensation. Almost. It had just been so long that he had almost forgotten.

Levi collapsed on top of him, panting and sweating like the brunette below him was. He only had enough energy left to pull out and roll off of him, giving him his space and time.

Now it was time for Eren to decide. Did he regret this entirely, or did he feel relief and freedom? Did he hate what they had done, or did he feel grateful? They were about to find out.

It took a while. It had been a long time since Levi had done anything like this, and for Eren, it'd been the longest he'd gone without sex. They had to take their time, to catch their breath and process all that had happened. It felt like it had only been a few minutes, but after a quick glance at the clock, the older man found it to have been almost two hours.

He laid on his side, turning his gaze back to Eren. He saw the distant look in his eyes, fingers on his stomach and running through the fluids that had come out of him. He hadn't looked this lost before, this distant. He didn't look so confused and conflicted anymore, but now he just looked apathetic to the situation.

This hadn't worked, had it?

"Eren…" Levi breathed and touched his arm gingerly. He looked to him as if he were a deer; one false move and he'd run away.

The brunette jumped slightly as if he hadn't been expecting the sudden touch. He looked over with wide eyes, but Levi couldn't read the expression on his face. Not too distant or conflicted, but not so sure just yet.

"Huh…?" He sounded, voice scratchy from the excessive use.

"Are you okay…?" Levi worried over asking that question. He wanted a positive answer, but the longer Eren took to answer it, the longer it seemed he wasn't going to get one.

"Yes…" He answered weakly, eyes burning with tears. Levi saw the first of them begin to fall before he turned his head away to wipe at his eyes. "Y-Yes…" His second answer was even weaker and more broken than the first.

"No, you aren't…" Levi disagreed and sat up on an elbow. He leaned over him to get a better look at his face, but it didn't take much. Eren was the type of person to solve things with a small amount of words and a lot of actions.

"Yes I am!" He argued and looked him in the eyes. He couldn't stop the tears, but he was telling the truth.

He was fine, more so than fine. He felt great. He hadn't felt this great in years even.

He hadn't felt so free in such a long time.

"Eren-"

"Yes I am. I am, I am, I really am." Eren pulled him down for a kiss before he could continue to argue. He expected a fight, but the moment their lips touched, he felt himself melt. Any argument of his own died out while he focused on the kiss.

The older man noticed the way his words died on his tongue, and honestly, he forgot what it was he was going to say. All he felt like doing, all he did do, was wrap his arms around the teen like Eren had done to him and kissed him back. He felt the heavy breaths against his lips, the telltale signs of his crying, but he couldn't bring it in himself to stop him. He only let him do as he pleased.

"T-Thank you…" Eren sobbed against him. Levi leaned back to look at him, to wipe away the tears on his temples in hopes it would help in some manner.

"Of course…" He wouldn't argue. He couldn't argue.

"I mean it. Thank you… So, so much…" Eren tilted his head back and sighed, enjoying the strange sensation of something inside of him, something not from anyone else besides the person he trusted. The person he-

"Not much trouble as far as I can see." Levi replied sarcastically. Eren snickered, something akin to a genuine laugh, before kissing him again. He knew this would have to stop soon, that all of this act of love making would end on a sour note. However, for a moment, just for a moment, he wanted to enjoy this and forget everything else.

He just wanted this moment to last for a bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed something not too long ago... No one said anything about Christa and Jean... A big thing I was worried about and no on said a thing.


	28. Taken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to apologize if anyone saw the sudden change in tags. I was trying to fix a few things, and then made it worse. It suddenly was Eremin centered instead of Riren by mistake. ^^' Someone pointed it out, so hopefully they're all fixed now. ^^

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 28: Taken**

* * *

For once he could say he slept relatively well.

He could hear the rain outside, heavy, but distant. It was the small nuisance that slowly brought him out of a dreamless slumber, and yet lulled him into a false sense of comfort. Reality was cruel, however, and the temporary distraction was enough to wake him up.

Through the dim dark of his room, the light peeked in from the curtains. He could tell it was early, and even after he and Eren had been up at all hours of the night, he still woke up so early. A quick glance could only confirm his suspicions, the neon lights reading eight thirty eight.

It was cold, but beside him was a heavy warmth that was both comforting and unsettling. He knew what it was. It was the same thing it had been for the better part of the week now. A tuff of brown hair tickled under his chin, warm breath fanned against his forearm, and the subtle rise and fall in his chest was a reassurance that he was still asleep.

Levi looked down at the teen after rubbing his eyes, clearing out the last of the fog from his gaze. Eren was out cold, just like he figured. His head rested against his shoulder, his arm a pillow and body turned away from him, but pressed close for warmth. His hands were gathered together under the sheets and under his chin, as if he were trying to stay warm, but Levi knew that it was more of a comfort thing than staying warm.

He looked so calm, so peaceful. He looked as if he were in a deep, dreamless sleep, and no matter how hard he tried, he wouldn't wake up. Why would he try though? Eren hadn't been sleeping right ever since he got here, and if it meant he'd get a decent amount of sleep after having sex, who was he to wake him up?

Levi peppered the lightest of kisses along Eren's shoulder and neck, his lips brushing against brunette hair that was so soft. Levi tucked some of the teen's hair behind his ear, getting a glimpse of that warm, tan skin, and those long eyelashes. Levi shouldn't have been thinking the thoughts he was thinking, but they were still in the back of his mind.

Eren was very beautiful.

In a teenage charm sort of way. He had to correct those thoughts.

The light kisses against his warm skin, even when it hadn't been his intention, seemed to be what woke him up. At first it was a small shift, as if his mind was telling him to ignore it, but something told Levi to keep kissing him. So he did, and further he saw into Eren's reactions as his body registered that  _something_  was happening.

One green eye barely peeked open, sensitive to the light, but when another kiss was placed within the junction of his neck and shoulder, his head suddenly snapped to the side.

Levi sat back, looking down into deep, green eyes as they stared at him. First in panic (Eren probably didn't realize who he was at first), but then in confusion. It took a few more moments for the pieces in his mind to click together, for the gears to start turning and for his mind to say it was all okay. He was safe here in his arms.

"Good morning..." He replied with a rasp in his tone, his cheeks spreading to make way for a smile.

"Morning," Levi replied nonchalantly. The brunette shifted in his place so he could turn around, so he could properly face the man in front of him. So he could feel the sensation of his bare legs against his, their hips touching, stomachs brushing together. It was so warm. "How did you sleep?"

"So good..." Eren replied and rubbed at his eyes. Levi had the barest hint of a smile on his lips as he took up some of that brown hair to twirl it in between his fingers.

"And how do you feel?" He was apprehensive to talk about it, but he needed to know.

For a moment, Eren seemed to mull over the idea.

How did he feel?

He felt like he was on cloud nine. He felt lightweight, as if he could suddenly start floating up and take the blanket with him. He felt stronger, like he could take over the world, and yet his muscles felt like jelly.

He felt  _clean_. He felt  _free_.

"Incredible..." He answered him and nuzzled his head under Levi's to kiss his neck.

"That's a great way to boost my ego." Levi replied sarcastically, which was met with a snort from the teen.

"You deserve it... I didn't know sex could feel that good." He said and looked up. "I didn't think..."

"Stop, Eren. I'm blushing." He retorted, bringing up another laugh from the kid. Eren's laughter was like a song and his smile seemed to glow, but when he brushed his lips up against the older man's, it was so warm. That was all any of this was.

The moment could only be ruined by the sound of the doorbell ringing through the apartment, followed by a heavy knock. Eren startled back and Levi sat up, a groan leaving his lips as he looked back at the clock. Why would someone be here so early in the morning?

"Go back to sleep. I'll be right back." Levi told him with a pat to his head. The brunette didn't seem to have any complaints to the idea as he sat up to release Levi's arm before dropping his head back on the pillows. They weren't nearly as comfortable, but they would have to do.

The older man got out of bed and quickly shucked on his sleeping pants. After being left on the cold floor all night, it was an unwelcome feeling, but he wasn't about to answer the door stark naked. No, that wasn't going to happen.

He sighed as he walked out of the room and shut the door behind him, and when he was alone, his eyes found his front door and glared at it.

Who in the hell would interrupt them and their sleep at eight in the morning? Well, they weren't doing that much  _sleeping_  anymore, but the point still stood. Who had the audacity to do something like that to someone like  _Levi_?

Levi had a brief thought after that. He moved to the front door, but stopped short to stand by the table against the wall. He opened it up and pulled out the gun he kept there, quietly checking to make sure there were bullets and that the gun was off safety.

People wouldn't be stupid to wake him up, not unless it was an emergency, and if that were the case, they'd call.

Who did Grisha know that could go after him?

Levi pulled the chain off of the lock and grabbed at the knob. After a collected breath, he turned it and opened the door.

He sighed.

"Erwin," He breathed in relief while opening the door more. His commander stood behind the door, wearing his black, winter coat, completed with a scarf bundled up around his neck. Seeing this reminded Levi of just how cold it was this winter, and it was still only November.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Erwin asked with humor in his tone.

"I'm not sure. For all I know, Grisha's pulled a contract on us and gotten a hit man." Levi said while leaning against the doorframe.

"You're safe. I've made sure to have security tight both here and with Hanji's place." Erwin assured. Levi nodded his head before clicking the safety back into place.

"Sounds good. So what are you doing here at this hour?" Levi asked as he opened the door more for him, a silent gesture for the man to come in.

"I'm sorry if I woke you. I called a few times, but no one answered. I guess I got a little worried with all that's been happening." Erwin explained as he stepped into the apartment.

"Sorry," Levi apologized, his mind reeling to think of an excuse. What had happened to his phone again? "I think I left my phone in the kitchen last night."

No, now that he remembered, it was sitting on his bedside table. He had just forgotten to plug it in and charge it, but Erwin didn't need to know that.

"That's alright. I'm just glad to see you're okay." The blonde man told him.

"Why is that? Did something happen?" Levi asked him as the two strolled into the living room.

"That's what I had called to tell you about. Grisha was brought into custody at five this morning."

"Already...? How did you find him?"

"After sending out his picture to the local news stations, his new landlord saw it. He must not have sunk his hooks into her just yet, because apparently she doesn't like the idea of selling kids into prostitution."

"I'll have to give Eren the good news when he wakes up." Levi told him and sighed.

So now they were safe. At least  _safer_  than before.

"I thought he wouldn't be able to sleep after all that happened yesterday. I figured by now he'd be bouncing around hoping to hit the hospital." His commander said with a laugh.

"He had a pretty rough night once we got home." Levi told him. "How's Armin?"

"Nanaba says he's fine, and still sleeping like a baby."

"He deserves that sleep." Levi told him.

"You all deserve rest after everything you did."

"I'm not the one that got shot." Levi said and motioned to Erwin's arm.

"I told you, it's just a scratch."

"It's still an injury." Levi argued with him. "You should be home and resting."

"I'll do that when the world is safe." Erwin explained, but Levi knew that would never happen. All that meant to him was that he would never rest.

"You're going to make yourself sick."

"It's nothing I can't handle." The man assured him. "But I'm not here to worry about me, so let's step away from that topic for a moment."

"What? Is there more...?" Levi asked him.

"I figured Eren would want to go see Armin and bring him home. After all, the kids can stay with you now."

"At least for the time being." Levi said and waved him off with a hand. "If that's your polite way of telling me to wake Eren up, I'll do it. I'll be back."

Levi turned away from him and walked down the hall. After he looked back over his shoulder, checking to make sure Erwin wasn't following him, he hurried back to his room and shut the door behind him.

Eren wasn't startled into sitting up; he wasn't even awake. Figures he'd fall back asleep so fast, but who was he to blame? They'd been up far longer than Erwin thought they were.

Levi wouldn't lie and say his heart wasn't pounding a little, because it was. If Erwin saw this, saw  _them_ , it'd be all over for them. Levi could easily lose his job, and lord knows what would happen to him. What would happen to Eren too? Levi couldn't think of the consequences.

"Eren," He said, hushed not to be heard outside of the room, but loud enough to not be a whisper. He moved over to the side of the bed Eren lay and shook his shoulder, pulling a sleeping Eren from his probably peaceful dreams. "Eren, get up."

"Hmm, what...?" Eren asked, groggy and tired while he rubbed his eyes. He didn't think he'd be woken up again, and so violently at that.

"Get up and get dressed. Erwin is here." The older man told him while reaching for Eren's clothes that were scattered over the floor.

"What...?" Eren shot straight up from the bed, wide awake now thanks to the news.

"Erwin is here. Hurry up and put your clothes on before he sees this." Levi said while tossing the brunette's underwear to him.

"And what is it I'm seeing, Levi?"

The two of them froze.

Levi felt the air in his lungs turn cold as he breathed unevenly. He looked up with fear, and the evidence had been proven with the sight of Erwin standing in his doorway.

He did not look happy.

Levi hadn't seen such an angry look on the man's face in such a long time. His expression when Eren had kissed him yesterday didn't even compare to this. Upset, concerned, heavy in thought, but never true anger. He was too kind of a person to be very mad, but this did it. This crossed the line.

Levi knew he had fucked up. He had fucked up so bad. He'd slept with a teenager, with a  _child_ , someone still under an investigation and under  _their_   _jurisdiction_. He'd broken the law, and he'd been found out.

"It's... Erwin, this isn't what it looks like." Levi excused, but he could tell by the look on the man's face that the blond man didn't believe him for a second.

"Really...? Well then please indulge me, Levi. Please tell me what I'm seeing." Erwin said while motioning to Eren still hiding under the blankets so the man wouldn't see his naked body. "Obviously I've come under a terribly wrong impression. I thought I was looking at a secret affair."

"I-It's not like that!" The brunette argued, catching their attention. "I-I got sick last night, and I puked on myself. My clothes, they're in the washer!"

"So then where is Levi's shirt?" Erwin asked, but Levi knew he was just humoring the teen.

"It got on him too! You can check the washer! They're the-"

"Eren," Levi said, stopping the brunette from continuing. Eren looked over at him just as Levi raised his hand and shook his head. "Stop."

"It's true!"

"Enough, Eren. Erwin's just playing with us." Levi explained. Eren looked crestfallen, his shoulders visibly slumping in defeat.

"Eren, get dressed and get your stuff." Erwin directed.

"Get my stuff?" Eren asked.

"You're going to stay with Hanji for a while." The man explained. Green eyes widened at his words, searching between Levi and Erwin for the truth.

"Wha- N-No! No, I'm not leaving!" Eren yelled while sitting up. Blanket ignored, he would fight this naked if need be.

"Then I'll have to remove you by force. You're going one way or another." Erwin's voice was so dangerously low. Eren truly didn't see the threat he was and what he possessed.

"Levi-" The teen began to the older man, but he was stopped by a shake of the head.

"Just do what he says, Eren." Levi told him. Eren shook his head, but Levi gave him a warning look.

"I'll leave to let you get dressed." Erwin said and held onto the door. He looked over to the man standing still, eyes to the floor and not looking up, but he could feel that heavy stare on him.

He knew it was coming. It was just a matter of time. He was surprised Erwin hadn't done it sooner, but maybe the man was waiting for privacy between the two. Or maybe he was still trying to read the situation and make heads or tails of it. Levi wasn't sure anymore.

"Levi, I expect to see your badge and gun on my desk later today."

And there it was.

* * *

"Do you have everything?" Erwin asked the brunette.

Eren stayed quiet, but he answered with a nod of the head. He clutched his backpack tighter to his chest, as if using it as a sort of comforting cushion. He didn't have much to begin with. "Alright then. Let's go."

Eren felt a jump in his heart, panic making his eyes widen. He looked back to Levi standing by his couch, head low, eyes on the floor. He hadn't looked at him since Erwin said what he had said, and it wasn't fair.

"No," He said and shook his head. He dropped his backpack to the floor and ran up to Levi, wrapping his arms around the older man's neck and hiding his head in his shoulder.

"Eren-"

"No, no! Don't leave me alone! I don't want to be alone..." Eren whispered into his shirt.

"Hanji and Mikasa will be there. You won't-"

"No, Levi,  _no_ _!_ " Levi heard the broken tone, heard and felt the tears that easily soaked his neck. He clenched his eyes shut, making sure he couldn't see how Eren was falling apart against him.

This just wasn't fair.

"Go on, Eren. You need to go with him." Levi said and pushed at the brunette's chest.

"No, don't!" Eren cried and fought back. He didn't want to be pushed away. Not by him.

"Eren, it's time to go." Erwin said behind him and reached for him. Eren tossed his elbow back, but Erwin was no yellow belly. He grabbed at the boy's arm and yanked him back, pulling him away from the older man.

"No! Let me go, let me go!" Eren yelled at him while fighting within the man's grasp. "C-Captain Levi! Levi!"

Levi bit at his bottom lip, turning his head away from Eren. He couldn't look, and if he had less decency, he'd cover his ears.

"Levi please! Don't let him take me away! I don't want to go!" Eren truly did try to fight, but he was too weak, and Erwin was far stronger than he was. Even after being properly taken care of, it still wasn't enough. Eren figured he'd never be strong enough to fight against Erwin.

He tried pulling away, pushing the blonde away, even dropping to the ground, but Erwin was relentless. He wasn't letting him go.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to tear his hair out, but he couldn't.

"Levi! Help me!"

"E-Eren..." Levi spoke softly and stepped forward. His instinct was telling him to go for him, to fight for him, but a sudden glare from Erwin shot over his shoulder ordered him loud and clear.

 _Stay back_ , his look warned him. Levi hands retracted the moment he saw the look, instead falling to his side. Eren thrashed within Erwin's grip after seeing that, knowing very well that Levi didn't want it to end like this.

"Please, please! Levi! I wanna stay with you! I wanna stay! Please don't let me go!"

Levi fought off the urge to cover his ears. His screams, broken and pathetic, were ruining him. It was killing him to know that there was nothing he could do, and all he wanted to do was pull Eren back into his arms and promise him everything would be alright.

It wouldn't be alright, would it?

"Help me! Please! Levi! Don't let him take me away!" Eren's throat was becoming raw from the screaming, but Erwin did not let go. He didn't let go even after they had left the room, and by then, they had left the apartment all together.

With him out of the room, Levi freely covered his ears. His screams remained, however, until he was far down the corridors and safely in one of the elevators, but even then, he thought he could still hear him. Were those the remnants and remains of them ringing in his ears? He wasn't sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. My fingers slipper.


	29. Gun and Badge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I noticed some people are getting confused by Eren and Armin's relationship within the story. I thought I had made it clear since chapter 2, but I guess not. ^^' So I'm just going to come out and say it so it's out there, and then you can make a decision of whether you want to continue on with this terrible story.
> 
> Yes, Eren and Armin are lovers. Well, I wouldn't call them "lovers" per say, but their relationship falls around that spectrum. This is not a brotherly relationship you're seeing despite the fact our original trio consider themselves family, but this is based off of their hardships. So yes, they are a thing. However, you've got to keep reading to find out what happens. ;3
> 
> -Misty
> 
> P.S. A big thanks to Lady Mari chan for being such an awesome beta! Imma get you something awesome in Japan!

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 29: Gun and Badge**

* * *

Levi wasn't looking forward to walking into that office. He wasn't looking forward to the odd, strange, or disgusted looks he would surely get, only if news had gotten around. He wasn't looking forward to meeting with Erwin, and he wasn't looking forward to setting his badge down for the last time.

Erwin was a man of business. He wouldn't blurt all of what happened out to everyone, would he? No, he wasn't that type of man, and he'd definitely want to keep the truth hidden. God forbid word of this got out. They'd all lose their jobs.

Levi sighed. The elevator doors opened, letting him out to walk down the now seemingly long corridor to the office. He wanted to turn back, but he knew he couldn't. Knowing that, he reinforced up the walls he usually held up and walked into the office, head high like he owned the world, though he knew better.

He wasn't greeted with looks of disgust or hate. Instead, everyone seemed to smile in his direction, friendly gestures or waves and nods towards him.

"Afternoon Captain!" Marlowe called from across the room, a box in his hands a filled to the brimming with belongings.

Belongings of his squad. Looking over to the desks, even the one Hitch currently occupied with her feet sitting on the open drawer, they had all been cleared. Everything from the paperwork to the photos of their families was gone, leaving behind only computers and phones

He hadn't seen those desks so empty in years. In fact, even six years ago, his squad, though they didn't belong to him at the time, sat there. The only newbies to come in were Petra and Ouluo, the youngest to come into the squad.

They had been too young to die.

"What are you doing here?" Hitch asked while looking up from the desk she sat at. "You're supposed to be home with Eren, aren't you?"

"Not for now." Levi answered. He could see their expressions changing with confusion, and he knew that their minds were trying to figure out the answers. "Where's Erwin? I need to speak to him."

"He's in his office with Hanji." Marlowe told him as he walked over.

"And boy is she pissed!" Hitch laughed as she tosses some papers into the desk.

"She's upset?" Levi asked. "What's wrong?"

"Don't know. Not my business." The curly haired woman said with a shrug.

"She walked in very angry." Marlowe explained softly, quietly, as if he didn't want to be heard. "They've been in there for half an hour screaming at each other."

Levi looked over to Erwin's private office, and even from across the room, he could hear them arguing.

"It's nasty. I wouldn't go in there if I were you." Hitch openly joked.

"I've got a death wish." Levi responded. Again, more odd looks were exchanged, but Levi ignored them in lieu of walking to Erwin's office. The closer he got, the more he could hear of their argument, and Hanji was really putting up a fight. In fact, most of the yelling was coming from her.

"I don't condone what he did! Levi slept with a victim and it was wrong, but what you've done to Eren is far worse than what he's done!" Levi leaned against the wall, listening to their argument with his arms crossed over his chest

So Hanji knew then. That must have meant that either Eren or Erwin broke the news to her. He couldn't imagine it being Erwin, because he wasn't the type to gossip. However, Eren was probably in tears to the point he couldn't even speak. He was probably so furious that he wouldn't say anything to anyone. Maybe it was a possibility that Erwin had spoken up, but only to Hanji. She would have needed to know why Eren was suddenly with her.

Or maybe Eren told Mikasa. His niece would have said something had she felt it important (Because she was more like her mother than she realized). Would she have spoken up about it though? Would she have said something the teen wouldn't want her to say?

He couldn't be sure who said what anymore.

"He can't stay in an environment-"

"Fuck environments! The only thing you did was take him out of something he considered a home with someone he trusts! He doesn't trust anyone else like he trusts Levi!"

Hanji wasn't the type of woman to curse, but when she got to a point of severe anger, which ever so rarely happened, it came out as easy as it was to breathe.

"They slept together!"

"And I already said it was wrong, but Eren can't stop crying! He's scared, Erwin! He's scared and miserable!"

Hearing about Eren's condition didn't bring him any relief. It didn't make him feel any better to know that the teen was falling apart, and he wasn't even there to make him feel better. He wanted to be there for him. To pick him up into his arms, hold him, and promise that everything would be okay. He couldn't though. This had nothing to do with him anymore.

He'd be lucky if he ever got to see him or Mikasa again.

"You took him away from the one person who broke through every built up wall and gained his trust! It doesn't matter about the case anymore! What you did was wrong, and you've done something far worse to him than Grisha had ever done!"

For a moment it fell silent within the room. At first Levi thought maybe they had caught on to his snooping, but that was until the office door slammed open with such blinding speed and fury that the older man had to move out of the way. He barely missed the, what would be, painful impact of the office door as Hanji stormed out of the room and out of the office all together, not a single word or glance given by her except for out of the room. The whole office went quiet, eyes following her until she disappeared, and even a little after that. When she was gone, eyes fell to the door she had just stormed from, some on Levi even to see if he knew anything. Levi simply ignored the stares he got and looked into the room.

Erwin was pacing by his desk, looking upset and out of sorts. Levi didn't see why he wouldn't be. It was very hard to get Hanji angry, but when she was, she was worse than any psychopath they had come across. That, and he had to fire someone he'd trusted for years. Levi was his best, and that was what he was. He  _was_  his best.

Now he wasn't.

Levi stepped into the room, and when the commander turned to continue pacing, he stopped at the sight of him. The frown the man had on his lips seemed to deepen, the furrows by his eyebrows becoming more intense. Levi looked down, his eyes hiding from Erwin's stare.

In all of their years of knowing each other, Levi had never looked down from the man. He always faced him head on with his eyes, never backing down, and now he was. Levi thought that he deserved it in a way. After all, what he did wasn't pardonable, and he knew it. He didn't deserve to look directly into the man's eyes.

To avoid that glare that was pushing him into the ground, Levi walked over to the man's desk and reached into his pocket. He pulled out his badge as requested and set it down on the desk beside a yellow folder. He then took his gun out from under the waistband of his pants and pulled the clip from it. When that was done, he set the gun on safety and put it beside his badge and the clip of bullets. With that and one last passing glance to his items, Levi turned to leave.

"Thank you for everything..." He muttered and grabbed at the door.

"Levi," Erwin spoke up, making the older man stop halfway out the door. Levi turned back in, but he kept his head down. "Shut the door and sit down." He commanded in a gruff tone.

That tone he only ever used when talking to criminals.

The older man did as told, no hesitation to follow the blonde's rules. He wasn't going to go against Erwin, though he didn't know what else the man wanted for him. He lost his job and he handed in his gun and badge. What was he forgetting? Or rather, what more did Erwin want from him?

"Yes sir..." He mumbled. He sat down in the chair in front of Erwin's desk, and in return, Erwin sat in his own chair. He set his elbows down on his desk, his fingers lacing together so he could lower his head down on his chin. This was something Levi  _had_  seen from the man, but that was only when he was interrogating criminals.

Was that what he was categorized as now? A criminal? He had been there once before, but he remembered not giving a shit let alone two about being one. Now, however, after spending years of getting himself high up and making himself worth something, he forgot how much being looked at like this disgusted him.

He was disgusted in himself.

"Alright," Erwin began, voice low and deadly to his ears. "I want you to tell me everything that happened last night. Every little detail. I want to know what happened that got you to sleep with an eighteen year old."

"You'll jeopardize the case." Levi spoke, looking up to Erwin's hands, but not his eyes.

"It's off the record." Erwin told him. Levi was skeptical about that, but he knew that Erwin wanted Grisha in jail just as much as he did. He didn't want to mess everything up.

"... Last night, Eren came into my room saying he couldn't sleep. He didn't want to be alone. Eren's been very...  _Childish_  for the last few days. I can understand why he's like that though. He doesn't need to be immortal and inhuman anymore." Levi began explaining, though he could tell he was babbling a bit.

He figured it must have been his nerves. That, and he had never been one good for words. He was trying to explain his thought process in hopes that Erwin would understand him better.

"So I let him lay down with me to help him sleep. I held onto him and just let him cry off all of his frustrations."

"What happened next?" His commander asked.

"Eren... He kissed me while I was talking to him. I told him no, because I knew what he was getting at, but he insisted."

"So you gave in just like that?"

"Of course not," Levi scoffed. "You're thinking too lowly of me, Erwin. I told Eren no, but he... He said he wanted to be  _clean_. He said... That he was sick and tired of belonging to him, and he thought that sleeping with me could fix it. He wanted to feel like he didn't belong to them anymore, to Grisha."

One look up confirmed the man was still staring at him with a berating glare.

"I can understand where Eren is coming from. I mean, you know where I came from, so you know I can make that connection. I tried telling him that sleeping with me wasn't going to do anything, but he started crying, saying he couldn't take feeling so dirty, so  _disgusting_. Erwin... I couldn't let that kid think that way about himself. Eren is too fucking important to think that way, especially when it wasn't his fault to begin with. He never did anything wrong, but he seemed to think that way."

"Is this something you used to wish for?" Erwin asked, his hands laying against his desk. "To be clean by someone else's doing?"

"... Why do you think I had Farlan in my life?" Levi asked and finally met his blue eyes. "I know where Eren comes from. It's disgusting and dirty and the most degrading feeling, and I know that I'm not the only one to ever think that way. Hanji has said so herself that people can get these kinds of crazy ideas."

"So you had sex with him to help him?"

"... Mhm." Levi hummed quietly. Erwin sighed to himself, his fingers beginning to rub at the bridge of his nose at the oncoming of a headache. "I think there's a difference in our mentality. You wouldn't understand where Eren and I come from unless you were there too."

"Can Hanji explain it in the same way?"

"Probably with some bigger words and a psychotic episode, yes."

"Okay..." Erwin mumbled. His hands pressed into the desk firmly, his body leaning forward in a serious posture, much like his expression. "So can you tell me that last night didn't mean anything to either of you?" He asked gravely.

"... No." Levi responded.

"You can't?"

"No, I can't. Last night meant something to both of us, probably a little more than I'd like to admit. It wasn't  _just sex._  I wouldn't categorize it as  _making love,_  but it wasn't a simple fuck either." Levi explained, but that was a lie.

He had blatantly stated to the teen that they were making love. Telling Erwin the truth, however, would only deepen his grave.

"And that's it?"

"Unless you want me to give you every single detail, such as if we broke a sweat or that Eren can't hold his voice back, then yeah, that's it." Levi stood up and pushed his chair in. "So if that's everything, I'll leave you be."

"Levi," Erwin reprimanded. Levi barely suppressed a groan, his shoulders slumping over. What more did this man want from him?

"Yes...?" He asked and turned around. Erwin stood up and walked around his desk to face the man. Levi kept his eyes down again, but he couldn't help following Erwin's arm as it moved back to his desk, his hand picking up his badge and gun.

"You forgot this." Erwin said and held the items up to him. The older man's eyes darted up to look at Erwin, shocked and confused. He took the items back, but as he looked at them, he just couldn't figure out what the man was thinking.

"Erwin, what are you doing?" Levi questioned him with a look that said he had lost his mind.

"Giving you your things back." Erwin told him.

"Why...?" Levi asked. "Erwin, I know I broke the rules. I fucked up badly, and I don't deserve to keep this job."

"You're right about that, but you're also right when you say that I can't possibly know what you or Eren thought at those low points in your lives. I'm going to go over this more with Hanji, because it's something that needs to be discussed, but I'm not losing my best because he was human for a night."

Levi watched him closely, still trying to figure him out. The older man had always been trying to figure him out, but even to this day six years later, he hadn't come up with an answer. The words were there, but they didn't seem to make sense to him in his head, just like always.

"... You're too nice of a person, Erwin." Levi mumbled while putting his badge away in his pocket.

"This isn't going on without punishment though."

"I figured."

"You're off the case completely, and you're to hand over any and all notes taken during this investigation. You're going to be on probation, though I can't say for how long. I guess it'll be that way until I know I can trust you fully again." Erwin explained to him.

"I'll work hard to gain it back, sir." Levi muttered. Erwin put a hand on Levi's shoulder, giving the man a kind smile.

"I know you will, so I know it won't be long."

"So... What about Eren?" Levi asked quietly, like the topic of the teen was taboo to even speak up.

"He is still going to stay with Hanji. It's no longer a risk to have him and Mikasa together, but keeping him with you is an absolute no." Erwin said while walking around his desk. "And you can't have contact with him either. You're not allowed to contact him in any way, not even on the day we go to court."

"I understand." Levi said curtly and nodded his head.

"However..." Erwin began and the older man's frown deepened. "We'll pretend that my ruling was said tomorrow. For now I'm ordering you to go see him."

"Sir...?"

"What are you waiting for? Go see Eren. Hanji says he's losing his mind right now, so I'd be quick about it." The blond said while sitting down. He chuckled at the way Levi's mouth was open, his brain still trying to process the information that was coming at him too fast.

"... Uh... Y-Yeah, thank you. Thank you, Erwin." Levi said and tucked his gun back into his pants. "I won't mess up again."

"I know you won't."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a difficult chapter. It's been written for months (Almost a year), but when I first wrote it, Levi's squad hadn't been killed yet. Levi was originally talking to his squad, not Marlowe and Hitch, so I had to go through and reformat it to fit the timeline. ^^' Anyway, this will be the last chapter for a few weeks. I leave for Japan tomorrow, and I'll be there for a week. I hope to hear from you all soon though! Keep being awesome, and I'll see you all soon! ^^


	30. See You Later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we've hit chapter 30! Thank you everyone for being such awesome people and for sticking with me through this ugly story. Sometimes I really wonder when I'm going to push it (I think I've crossed that a few times), but you all are still here, and I really appreciate it. ^^ Ask Lady Mari chan. I read all of your comments, your names, and I thank everyone of you. ^^ (It's much easier to talk to me on A03 *cough cough*) Also, thanks for all of the kind wishes. My trip to Japan was lovely, and I'll be posting pictures up on my tumblr soon. Getting to meet Yuri chan and go to a real cosplay studio was also the height of the experience I think, so thanks for being so patient guys. I'm working hard to get back into a working schedule and just "normal" life in general. ^^'
> 
> With that being said... I still have a method to my madness.
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Wolf's Rain OST "Friends"

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 30: See You Later**

* * *

It felt like forever before he managed to get to Hanji's apartment. It felt like an eternity before she opened the door, a frown on her lips and her eyebrows knit tight in concern. It wasn't over him; no, that wasn't it. It was because of a certain green eyed brunette that Levi could hear sobbing from further down the hall, broken and distressed.

He already knew who it was.

"Levi," Hanji said in a breathless manner. Out of relief or exhaustion he couldn't be so sure right now.

"How's Eren?" Levi asked as she opened the door further for him, letting him in. He wasn't going to waste any time.

"He needs you," Was all of an answer he got as he walked in. Apparently she wasn't wasting any time either.

It had been a long time since he had last seen Hanji's apartment. Not much had changed minus a few more scattered books and a makeshift bed that the couch had become. Her scattered mess seemed more collected and organized in only a way she knew how to make, more purposely intended than real clutter. Everything was out of place and unorganized, but to her, everything had its place in the room.

It wasn't hard to find the teens within the scattered books and reports.

Mikasa sat beside Eren on the couch, eyes looking up momentarily in weary dread when she realized they weren't alone anymore. She looked confused, and wouldn't anyone? She must not have had an explanation as to why her brother was like this. All she knew was that he was upset and that was it.

And upset he was.

Eren was a  _mess_. Even from where he stood, Levi could see the tears drenching his cheeks that had become red from exertion. His nose was stuffed up; he could hear it by the way he choked to breathe properly. His voice was raspy from crying and he couldn't stop hyperventilating. It was bad, and all because Erwin had taken him away.

Why did he have to scare him like that? Why did he have to do that to him when Eren was in the worst mental state he had ever been in?

"Eren..." Mikasa spoke softly and touched his shoulder. Her brother slapped her hand away quickly, ignoring her and any reasons to talk. He just wanted to sit here and cry until there was nothing left, and then maybe force out a few more tears. He wanted to be left alone to wallow in self-pity. Why was that so hard for her to understand?

Mikasa didn't seem to appreciate the gesture at all. Without trying to catch his attention in a gentler manner, she outright slapped him upside the head, the sound loud enough to echo further down the hall. Eren cried out, because she had never been one to hold back, and sat up to cover the back of his head. He shot her a dirty glare, but before he could open his mouth to question why she had hit him, Mikasa pointed past his shoulder.

"Look, stupid." She growled out in annoyance. Her brother was the type of person to act irresponsibly.

Eren looked like he was ready to argue, but another lift of her hand had him flinching back and covering himself. He looked back as instructed, weary of her raised hand and fearing it would come down again, but the moment he saw Levi, everything else had been forgotten about. All he saw at that moment, all he could focus on was the shorter officer standing beside Hanji, a look of concern on his face.

"Levi!" He cried out and jumped up from the couch. Levi's arms were already open and waiting by the time he made it to him, the impact so strong it forced Levi back into a wall. Levi wrapped his arms around the teen, one hand sitting at the small of his back and the other on the back of his neck to make him feel safe and secure. He needed the feeling right now.

Eren fell apart against him then. He cried out his frustrations, his anger, his pain, and everything else into the man's shoulder, tears soaking into his sweater and making his neck damp. The older man didn't say anything against it either, opting to just hold him and stay quiet. That was all he could do at this point. Nothing more would work, and nothing he could say would take back what had happened. All Eren needed right now was someone to cry on and hear him out. That was it.

"Levi... Captain Levi..." Eren cried into his jacket. Levi rubbed at the back of his head gently, his other hand around his waist and holding him in place. He spared a passing glance to Mikasa, seeing that his niece had stood up some time ago. When he didn't know, but she wasn't advancing. More than likely she was just watching out for her adopted brother.

"Captain... You promised... Yo-You promised me..." Eren whimpered, broken and defeated. "Promised me you wouldn't..."

Levi wanted to beat himself up for ever breaking his promise to him. He'd done a pretty good job of keeping his promises, but out of all the ones he could have broken, it had to be this one.

"I'm so sorry, Eren..."

* * *

Two hours had gone by. Two hours of Eren sobbing in pain and crying out the inevitable truth. It took so much energy out of him that it surprised no one when he fell asleep in the older man's lap.

Earlier they had moved back to the couch, seeking out just a bit more comfort. Mikasa placed a blanket over her brother's shoulders, but it didn't take too long to find peace with his head in Levi's lap, fast asleep in a dreamless state that was very much needed. Levi didn't move him either. All he did was rub his head, fingers pulling out little knots in his hair from time to time or just scratching at his scalp.

Anything if it meant keeping Eren sleeping happily.

"Levi, would you do me a favor?" Hanji asked quietly, fearing the slightest of gestures or sounds would wake the teen. Levi hummed in response, worried for the same things. "I'm going to pick Armin up from the hospital and bring him here. Would you watch these two while I'm out?"

"Of course," Levi answered. He didn't feel the need to respond sarcastically right now.

"Alright. It shouldn't take long, maybe half an hour at the most." The woman warned him.

"It's fine. Go ahead and get him. He's probably wondering why no one has come to get him." The older man assured her. Without another word, Hanji nodded her head and left. The last sound that was heard in the apartment for the next twenty minutes was the sound of the door clicking shut.

They didn't feel the need to talk. Well, at least Levi didn't. He found actions to be more of a positive response, but Mikasa seemed to think otherwise.

She was always so over protective of Eren. One would think the question would have come far sooner, and he was mildly surprised it took her this long to speak up.

"You slept with Eren last night?"

He figured this would be the first question to come from her.

"He told you?" He questioned quietly. He looked up into her black eyes, looking for some form of emotion. It still scared him that she could be so apathetic to the situation at hand, good or bad.

"No..." She answered. Levi frowned, eyes trying to understand what she meant by that. "You just did..."

"Mikasa..." He drawled out in a reprimanding tone.

"Well you did..."

"You know you got that from your mother, don't you?" Levi asked her. Mikasa turned away, but the barest hint of a smile pulled at the corners of her lips. "I never had any privacy as a kid. She always knew everything, and when she didn't, she always did that when she didn't have something and wanted it."

"Good..." Was all she responded with before looking at him again. She still wanted a yes or no to her previous question.

"... Yes, I slept with him." Levi told her. "But only last night."

"Why...?" She asked.

"Because he asked me to." He stated simply.

"Because he asked you to..."

"He said he wanted to be clean..."

"Mh..." She fell quiet for a moment, as if quietly assessing what she had heard. Levi didn't know if there was anything else to say at this point that might change her ideas of him, whether bad or good, but he felt the need to speak up.

"He was upset..." Was all he could think of to say. He wasn't trying to make her think badly of either of them.

"... I could tell you had sex with him last night." She spoke up, eyes glancing over to her brother.

"How...?"

"He smelled like it. He looked completely spent, but not in a way you'd get from being up all night."

He had forgotten that she had sex for a living. Of course she knew they had sex last night. It would be very hard to get it passed his niece.

"Not much gets past you." Levi said carefully.

"When it comes to my family, no, not much does." His sister leaned forward to brush her fingers against a red and damp cheek. Even in his sleep, a few tears managed to escape his closed eyes.

"I didn't mean to hurt him..." He spoke quietly. "All of this wasn't supposed to happen."

"I know..." His niece said and looked up at him. "He trusts you. If he does... Then there's no reason for me to worry."

Levi's cheeks spread slightly in a pathetic smile, his hand lifting to rub at her head. She looked away, but Levi could see the timid blush she tried to hide. It seemed like she was getting better at expressing herself.

"You know, you're a good kid." He said and poked at her forehead. "Should have hung out at your place more often to get to know you better."

"There's not much of me to learn." She argued.

"I have to disagree with you on that." He said. "I know you're quiet, but you're smart enough to know when it's time to speak up. You're incredibly strong... More than likely you picked that up from me somewhere along the way."

"I'm not that strong..." She argued quietly, her eyes turning away.

"Yeah, you are..."

"These don't look strong..." She whispered and rubbed at her arm, imagining the scars that littered her skin.

"Yes, they do," Levi said. Mikasa looked up at him in question, trying to see how it was possibly strong. "You said so yourself that you knew you wanted to end it. You could have cut a little deeper and finished it, but you didn't. You stayed and fought for everything. Your brothers, your family, your life, and I couldn't be more proud of you, Mikasa..."

At his words, Mikasa's eyes reddened in sadness. Not at him. No, that wasn't it.

She always wanted to think that was the case. That her scars showed the life she continued to live. It didn't take Hanji to tell her that and make her believe it, but hearing her uncle say it brought a bit more reassurance to her. Maybe he was right. Maybe that was the truth, and for this moment of peace, she'd let herself believe it in a naive way. Just for a quiet moment.

"Do you really believe that...?" Mikasa asked as she dropped her head. She had already cried too many times in front of him. She hated to think that it could happen again, but ever since they'd admitted mostly everything that happened to them, her walls were crumbling apart. She couldn't prepare them in time to keep herself composed.

"Do  _you_?" And he wasn't helping.

"I-I think so..."

"Then that's all that matters." Levi patted her head again, nails lightly scratching to help her relax. Her head pushed into his hand, bangs sticking to her skin as the first of her tears began. She was so tired of holding it in, and if only for a moment she could just relax, she would really appreciate it. "Something tells me you didn't sleep last night either..."

"N-Not for the same reasons..." She said on a stuttering breath.

"You have a dark sense of humor." Levi said and smiled. Mikasa smiled in return as she slowly tilted to the side, her body falling to rest on the couch. While the tears were still there, she looked about ready to join her brother, eyes drooping and exhaustion setting in. She probably would have fallen asleep had it not been for the front door opening and closing, followed by Hanji's voice announcing their return. "Well that was fast..."

Hanji appeared in the archway, followed by a timid looking blonde. He was bundled up heavily in a sweater and sweatpants, followed by a scarf tucked around his neck. There was a backpack on his back now, probably filled with clothes for him to wear. Any hand-me-downs would do, or even something of Eren's. He was tiny for his age, and right now he had never looked so small.

Levi had to remember that Armin was wearing sneakers right now. His usual attire consisted of stiletto heels, shorts that looked more like underwear, and baggy shirts to hide the fact he was really a guy. Maybe that's why his sudden appearance looked innocent, weaker, and smaller. Now he wasn't a prostitute. Now he was just Armin, and he didn't need to be a different person to live.

Just him.

"Armin..." Mikasa sighed his name in relief and stood. Fresh tears pooled into her eyes as she walked over to him, no surprise to any of them when the two of them collided in a hug. Armin barely hugged back, but that looked like a lack of sleep that caused that.

"I got there and Armin was still sleeping. Nanaba said he hadn't moved since we left."

"You must feel pretty good then." Mikasa joked and laughed when Armin nodded his head against Mikasa's shoulder.

"I feel great..." He replied, strained in his position until she let him go.

"I'm glad you're okay..." She said softly and kissed his forehead.

"Yeah... I'm glad you're okay too..." He said nothing about the kiss, for it was nothing out of the ordinary to him. His blue eyes only looked up to her in happiness, a sense of sleepiness still present deep in them. "I'm so glad..."

"You must have slept like a rock..." Mikasa commented and patted his shoulders, a laugh lacing her tone. "I thought you'd be a little more panicked right now from all that's happened."

"Nanaba and I agreed to put him on a medication to help with some of his anxiety. It's not a very heavy dose right now while his antibiotics run through his system, and of course we wanted to start small. Seems to be working too."

"Works well..." Armin agreed simply and his eyes blinked slowly. "I don't think I can worry right now, even if I wanted to. Not even this bothers me." He said while touching the side of his head.

The skin was no longer red and inflamed, but now the damage was in a clear view for everyone to see. The hair there was so short, frizzy, and straggly. Even the skin was still sensitive to the touch. He barely pressed his cold fingers into it, worrying he'd do something more to it with just the lightest of touches.

"It'll grow back," Mikasa assured him.

"Yeah, but it'll be a while until it's the same length as everything else… Or if it even grows back in again." Armin sighed as he dropped his hand. He really did want to worry, but maybe the medication was a stronger dosage than he thought. He didn't think medicine for anxiety kicked in that fast, but maybe he was wrong. "I just don't know what to do with it until then."

Mikasa tilted her head while her eyes scanned the thin patch on the side of his head, as if deep in thought. He wanted to ask her what that was for, but it didn't take long for the teen to lift her hand and start pulling at his hair. She created a new part off to the side, and with the hair she pulled at it until it fully covered the affected area. Armin stood quietly, only mentally questioning her and her actions until she finally tucked his hair behind his ear.

"There…" She said fondly. "If you keep it pushed to this side, you can't see the spot. You just have to part your hair like this from now on." She explained with a smile. Armin looked away shyly, his lips forming a smile as he touched the spot carefully.

"This doesn't make me look like a girl, does it?"

"Not any more than usual." Levi told him, but soon bit his lip. Armin didn't seem offended, but someone like him wouldn't when he usually was mistaken for a girl.

"That's good then," He responded in a playful manner, eyes looking down at the brunette in his lap.

His smile deepened as he stepped away from his sibling, but only to kneel beside the couch and tilt his head against the sofa. It didn't seem to bother him that Eren's head was in the captain's lap, or even that the brunette slept on despite his presence.

He knew Eren didn't sleep well to begin with, not when his family wasn't around. He was glad his sibling managed to get some sleep despite the situation.

Armin tilted his head and leaned in for a kiss, managing to press his lips into the corner of Eren's mouth. That was all he could reach, because kissing Eren fully on the lips wouldn't happen unless Armin didn't mind kissing Levi's thigh at the same time. Levi said nothing of it, watching the blonde's eyes close peacefully and open only moments later. It only took the sensation of lips on him to wake Eren up, green eyes barely visible in a groggy state.

He didn't seem to understand the situation, not right away. He was too busy trying to focus on what was in front of him and trying to remember where he was and how he got there to understand what was going on.

"Hi Eren..." Armin whispered softly and touched his cheek.

"... Armin...?" Eren mumbled in question, his voice laced with sleep. Armin said nothing to that, only lifting his head to nod.

Levi shifted his leg slightly, hoping to bring more awareness to the teen. It seemed to work if him managing to sit up meant anything. The brunette wobbled a bit, sleep still clinging to most of his senses, but he was able to understand most of what was going on.

Armin was there. That was all he needed to know.

"Armin..." He murmured once more, more for the sake of saying his name without any meaning behind it. He held out his hand, and Armin took it up gratefully, allowing Eren to pull at him firmly. He lifted him up onto the couch and into his lap to hold him as close as physically possibly, feeling the coolness of his clothes from the weather and the flushed heat within his cheeks as they pressed closely together. The blonde wrapped his arms around his neck when prompted, and from there, the two sat in silence.

Levi looked over to his niece, eyes following her as she sat down in the chair stationed across the coffee table. She pulled her knees up into the chair and leaned her head back, eyes staring contently at her siblings.

She must have felt so comfortable right now, so at peace. At this moment, there was nothing to worry about. Nothing was threatening their lives, and for a moment, just a moment, they could be happy about something. The relief for them must have been unexplainable.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there..." Levi looked back when he heard Eren whispering into Armin's ear. All Armin did was shake his head as an answer, nose rubbing against a pulse point in his neck. He didn't have much to say to that. Not right now anyway.

He was too tired to answer.

"Eren..." Levi spoke up quietly. Eren looked at him past blonde hair, green eyes filled with too many emotions to count, but he hadn't looked so happy for a while. In fact, Levi hadn't seen this look on him at all.

"What...?" He asked as his hand rubbed at the base of Armin's skull.

"He's asleep..." The older man said quietly. Eren tilted his head to get a better look, but it didn't take much to find out he was clocking out. Armin's body was already heavy, limbs dropping and comatose. His head was safely tucked away in his neck, blue eyes shut tight and reality far away. One would think he'd be wide awake after all of the sleeping he had done at the hospital, but it seemed that wasn't the case.

Eren didn't think he had ever seen Armin this tired.

"Armin...?" Eren whispered to be sure, but the lack of answer was enough to prove Levi's statement truthful.

"I'm surprised he can sleep any more after last night." Levi said in a hushed tone to avoid waking him up. Eren smiled in his direction before shifting, his arms cradling Armin's light body in a protective hold. He tilted to the side, careful to lay Armin down against the couch with one of the pillows under his head. For a moment the blonde stirred, but only for a moment. He huddled into himself, arms bundled close to his chest and hands at his chin when his arms fell from Eren's neck and legs pulling up. This gave the teen the chance to slip away and off of the couch without disturbing his sleep.

Levi watched curiously, eyes following every moment of the brunette. He hadn't seen this sort of tenderness from him before, but he knew that his and Armin's relationship was different from others. He couldn't look away and waste the opportunity to see this, so he didn't.

He watched as Eren kneeled down beside the couch, hand rubbing Armin's head in his sleep. His green eyes, so big and bright despite how heavy with sleep he felt, stared at him lovingly. He stared at him as if he'd lose him again, and he didn't want that. He didn't want to lose Armin, not ever again. He didn't think he could handle it if it happened again, but now he knew.

He knew this was the only way out. He had to trust Levi and the rest of the force if they wanted to live a normal life, or as normal as it could come for kids in their positions. He wanted what was best for his sister and Armin, and that meant having to put their future in their hands.

They wouldn't steer them wrong after all. It was their job to protect them and they meant it with every fiber of their beings.

Besides, he couldn't let his squad's death be in vain. They had to keep going for them.

Eren looked up to the officer as he stood, eyes beginning to turn red at the ideas within his mind. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes at the knowledge that, for now, they were safe. Mikasa and Armin were there with him, and that was all that mattered to him.

"I'm surprised you aren't joining him, Eren." The older man whispered. "Or the fact Mikasa isn't either."

"Levi..." Hanji spoke out quietly. Levi looked in her direction, only to find her setting a heavy blanket on top of his niece, who had long since fallen asleep in the chair. Her head was tilted into the arm, bangs dangling in her face and expression peaceful. A sight like that from her was hard to come by, yet very much appreciated.

"I'm so happy..." Eren uttered, his voice trembling to keep himself composed. Levi looked over to the brunette as he too stood, his hand giving one last brush against Armin's cheek before leaving his side. He walked over to Levi and didn't even ask before wrapping his arms around him, but it wasn't like the man would turn him away.

He returned the embrace carefully, one hand on the small of his back while the other sat at the base of his skull. He held him close and firm, hands moving to help sooth him when he felt the first tears begin to drop against his neck.

"What's wrong, Eren?" He asked him.

"N-Nothing..." Eren stuttered.

"Doesn't sound like nothing." The older man argued.

"No," Eren said and lifted his head to look at him. "Really, it's nothing. I'm just... I'm so happy, s-so relieved." He breathed and rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

Levi brought up a hand up to touch his cheek, to wipe away at the tears staining his tan skin. He hated seeing Eren cry, and knowing he was part of the reason didn't help. He hated breaking his heart once already, but he was going to have to do it again.

"You kept your promise..." Eren breathed, his shoulders heaving and on a heavy release of air.

"What are you talking about?" Levi asked. "I didn't keep you with me..."

"No, y-you promise you'd get Armin back. You promised that everything would work out and you were right..." The brunette sighed, his head feeling heavy for a much needed nap. "I don't know how much longer this will last, but... But for now, this is perfect..."

Levi sighed, eyes closing to take in what he said. He hated hearing that. He liked hearing it; the fact Eren spoke so positively wasn't the problem. The problem was that Eren was expecting something from this, and Levi was going to have to crush his heart again.

Why of all times did he have to do this?

"And..."

"And...?" The older man inquired.

"And you're here..." Levi really hated this. "I-I'm sorry about your job. I really am, but I... I'm just glad you're here..."

Eren wrapped his arms around him again and hid his face away within the junction of the man's neck and shoulder. He breathed easily, all worries and fears replaced with peace of mind. He really was at peace, and Levi hated himself for what he was about to do.

"Eren..." He began and settled his hands on his hips. "I still work as an officer. Erwin didn't let me go."

"Really...?" Eren leaned back, happiness further brightening in his eyes.

"Yes. He isn't as mean as you think he is." Levi spoke and touched his cheek where the tears were drying. Eren's expression slowly started to fall, realization dawning on him that something wasn't right. That wasn't all there was to it and he knew it.

"... Why do I feel like there's a but somewhere...?" He asked hesitantly. Levi looked down for a moment, debating the last of his thoughts. Was he really going to do this? Was he really going to hurt him right now when he was finally happy?

He didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't just going to disappear with no reason behind it. He deserved a straight answer, even if and when it would upset him.

"Eren..." He began, but the brunette was already hearing the answer.

"Don't."

"Eren-"

"Please don't say it." He begged him, his hands squeezing hard at his shoulders.

"You deserve an answer." Levi told him.

"I don't want one."

"You need one. I'm not just going to leave you behind without an explanation." Levi said.

Eren whined as he dropped his head again, hiding his face within the man's shoulder. He didn't want to hear it, and even though he knew the answer, he still had to hear it.

"Please..." He whimpered while his hands fisted his shirt. "Please..."

"Eren..." Levi brought both of his hands up to touch his cheeks, fingers gently pushing and pulling until they were eye to eye. "This isn't goodbye. It's only see you later."

"But for how long?" Fresh tears drizzled down his warm skin, his breathing heavy.

He couldn't lie. No, he  _wouldn't_  lie. He couldn't give him an answer and expect it to work out, because it never worked that way. He'd see him on the day their trial began, but how long would that take?

Weeks? Months? Years? He couldn't be sure, and he wasn't going to throw false hope at him.

"I don't know..." He answered truthfully. "But it's not forever. We'll see each other again."

"I don't want to be alone though..."

"You aren't alone. Mikasa and Armin are here with you now, and you've got Hanji." Levi held him firmly in place, eyes staring directly into his. "And you use your time with her wisely, Eren. She's here to help you. That's her job. Talk to her when you need to, cry on her shoulder if you need it."

Eren sniffled, eyes quivering to keep his state.

"She's here for you like I am, okay?"

"... Okay..." He agreed reluctantly.

"And if there's ever an emergency you can always call me. I'll be here as fast as I can for you, but only for an emergency, alright?"

"Alright..."

"... And we'll see each other again. We still have to have that pizza night after all, don't we?"

Eren smiled weakly, eyes adverting to the floor. The idea was extremely tempting, but it would have to wait. For how long he wasn't sure, but if Levi promised it, he'd keep it. He always seemed to after all.

"Promise...?" Eren asked, his eyes filling with hope.

"This I'll promise. You have my word, Eren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we go through some feels and time jumps. Might need some tissues.


	31. Snow Fall

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I'm sorry guys. Since I've gotten back from Japan, I've just been dead. Just bleh. Just meh. Just... Just. I don't think there are any serious triggers in here. Maybe minor? Just mentions of Mikasa's scars. owo
> 
> But thank you for being so patient with me. You guys rock! I'm hoping to get some stories out for Christmas. Just some little one shots and what not. :) So if you have any ideas~ I'm at a loss and need some~? X'D
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Christmas music~!

**Lost Cause**

* * *

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 31: Snow Fall**

* * *

**Hanji Zoe (I.C.E)** **  
** **Received at 7:20 a.m.** **  
** **"Something's wrong with Eren."** ****  


* * *

"Damn it! Why isn't she answering her fucking phone?" Levi tossed his phone into the seat beside him, his hand tightening against the wheel.

He'd gotten that message half an hour ago in a fog of sleep, but the roads were so icy that he had to go slow. He didn't want to, but he'd blame the weather for it later.

What was wrong with him? Was he upset? Crying? Was he hurt? Did he have another panic attack and did he hurt himself? He was with Hanji, but he could do that to himself at any point in time and without anyone looking.

Why didn't she say anything in her text? And why did it have to be today of all days?

Why on his birthday, on Christmas? Did something have to happen to Eren? What could it have been and why wouldn't anyone answer him? Even Erwin wasn't answering him, and even though it was early, someone should have been answering their phones, especially Hanji.

What was going on?

* * *

Levi was quick up the stairs of Hanji's apartment complex, because the elevator would be too slow. It was quiet within the building, a given for a Christmas morning, but he didn't like it one bit. He needed to hear something other than his own frantic breathing or the heart pounding out of his chest and beating within his ears. He needed something more, a confirmation or a sign, but he wasn't getting any.

He ran all the way up to the eighth floor and hauled ass, but by the time he got to her apartment, he noticed something was wrong.

Her front door was open.

The crack in the door didn't look forced, but it was open regardless. No lock was done up to keep it closed, and from inside he heard nothing.

Absolutely nothing.

He should have heard something, either dishes clattering together from breakfast or talking between the teenagers, but nothing. He heard nothing, and with fear rising into the pit of his stomach, Levi pulled out the gun that sat at the waistband of his pants.

He didn't have real bullets, but plastic would do. Anything that didn't effect anyone would be followed by his fists.

The man pushed the door open slowly, muzzle of the gun poking in first as he looked inside. He didn't see anything in the hall; no signs of a struggle were evident, but he didn't trust this.

None of this made sense and he needed answers.

Levi stepped further into the apartment, gun held close to himself and ready to shoot. His ears were drawn to any sound he could hear, but nothing. Absolutely  _nothing_ , and that wasn't normal.

He turned the corner, eyes narrowed, heart racing-

"Surprise!"

Levi barely had the willpower not to pull the trigger in shock, body jumping back into the wall when confetti was tossed in his direction. There before him stood Hanji, all three teens and Erwin. The group broke out into supercilious laughter, Eren and Armin applauding at the successful surprise, but they really should have known better than to spook him. His niece seemed to sense this right away.

"Fucking hell!" He didn't mean to bark. No, actually he did. "Are you insane? I could have shot you just now!"

"Good thing you have fast reflexes." Hanji approved with a silly wink towards him.

"Happy birthday, Captain!" Eren cheered for him as he ran up, ignoring the possible threat still in his hands and the annoyance emanating off of him.

"You bastards know I hate surprises." Levi growled over to the adults, who seemed not in the least bit terrified by him. The brunette didn't seem to either if wrapping his arms around the older man meant anything.

"But it's your birthday..." Armin's frown spread far, bordering a pout.

"Come on, Levi." Mikasa said as she followed Eren to do the same. "Enjoy this time with us. At least for today."

Eren stepped back to allow his sister to hug the captain, his grin splitting his cheeks apart. It looked strong enough to hurt him if he kept doing that, but he didn't have the heart to crush the boy's spirit. It wasn't often the teens could smile so big, so who was he to be a Grinch on Christmas?

"Erwin," Levi addressed the blonde man. "Is this alright?"

"I figured a day won't hurt much. It's Christmas after all, so let's kick back and enjoy ourselves while we have it." Erwin assured him while tilting the mug of something steaming towards him.

Levi stood for a moment longer, letting the words sink and settle into his mind. He looked over to the kids, seeing Armin come up from behind Eren and pull his hand into his own. He looked to Mikasa, finding a newfound emotion within her eyes that he hadn't seen in a long time.

"Oh man..." He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. He peeked up past his bangs, noticing the curiosity still present. "I wish I had been prepared at least. I've got all of your gifts still in their bags down in my car. Had I known I would have been celebrating Christmas with you guys, I would have brought them up with me."

"You got us presents?" Armin's big, blue eyes widened in surprise, his cheeks spreading into a wide grin. Eren and Mikasa had very similar expressions on their faces, curiosity disappearing to make way for glee.

"Yeah, but I'm so  _tired_  from running all of the way up here. I couldn't possibly go down and get them now." Levi mused and bent his knees, as if he couldn't stand on them a moment longer.

"We'll go get them!" Eren asserted quickly. Too quickly, but Levi had already been assured of that. He held up his car keys to let them dangle off of his ring finger, and all too soon Mikasa snatched them from his hands. The teens disappeared down the hallway in record time, and Levi barely had the time to tell them where his car was, what it looked like, and to bundle warm.

"And don't peek!" He added just before they shot out the door.

"Okay!" Mikasa yelled, her voice echoing in the hall as they ran.

"They've been jumping out of their seats for a week waiting for today." Hanji spoke up, watching as the man turned around to face them.

"Was it Eren's idea?" He asked.

"Armin's actually," Erwin told him. "He liked the idea of a big, happy family all together in one room. He also saw how much Mikasa and Eren missed you, so he wanted you to come see them."

"I'll need to remember to thank him..." Levi tilted his head off to the side, eyes looking away wearily. "Are you sure this is alright?"

"Like I said, it's just one day. How much damage could we do in just one day?"

"Don't jinx us, Erwin." Hanji winked at him with a pointed finger, warning him of any possible problems that should occur if he did so.

"So how have they been doing?" He truly was afraid to ask that question. He wanted to know that they were doing okay, but what if they weren't? What if they were suffering without him? A lot could happen when one is separated from the other for a month.

"Well. They've been doing well." Hanji motioned for Levi to come take a seat on the couch, to which he followed without question. He felt like he was about to get his ear talked off, so he considered it a good idea to get comfortable.

"Are they eating okay? Has Armin gained his weight back? And what about Eren's nightmares?"

"Slow down, Levi," Hanji told him in the middle of an amused snort. He wasn't very good at hiding his concern. "All in due time."

"I'm not a patient man."

"Obviously," Erwin chuckled as he sat beside the older man on the sofa, his cup of coffee still steaming with warmth.

"The kids have been doing well like I said. I've got them on strict eating schedules, and I'm making sure their diets are healthy. It's been weeks since any of them touched fast food." She assured the man as she sat back in her recliner. "I can't say the same for Eren's nightmares. He still has the same one every few days. The poor boy can't get a decent night of sleep it seems."

"I thought his nightmares would lessen now that Armin is here." Erwin said skeptically.

"Just because Armin is here doesn't mean he's confident in protecting him." The woman sat up, her face suddenly taking a turn for serious. "Erwin was telling me that the case had been bumped up. It's going to be reviewed soon, so I know they're all terrified of facing him again."

"I think if I were in their position, I'd be too." The blonde man spoke with a sigh.

"Anyone would be." Levi told him. "Are you talking them through it?"

"Of course I am, and with the help of their journals, it's come as a great aid to vent their own emotions."

"Journals...?" Levi questioned.

"Oh that's right. We haven't told you about those yet," Hanji mumbled. "I'm having the kids write down problems they feel are too hard to speak of. These problems could be about anything, but so long as they write them down, they're still getting it out of their system. It seems to be working too. All three of them have been doing it, and multiple times they've come up to me to talk about them in person." She explained.

"I've told Eren to write down about his nightmares as many times as he can in hopes that it'll be easier for him to speak about. It's been working little by little, but he finds it easier just to let me read what he's written down. By the time he tells me in the morning, most of the details are long since forgotten about."

"And...?" Levi asked.

"They're far more gruesome than we realized. He's seeing more than just one death in that dream, but Armin's is the one that affects him the most." She said somberly. "He writes down in great detail how he sees people being bitten in half and organs on the ground. He's seeing some really nasty shit."

"He never said any of those things to me..." Levi uttered.

"Like I said, it's working little by little. He likes it when he can just write it down in his notebook and leave it to forget it."

"And Mikasa...?" Levi asked.

"She talks about her kids and how she misses them. Talks about her scars, which we've talked about in person. She's getting there."

"She's wearing a short sleeved shirt today." Erwin told him.

"I noticed. Is she trying to be more comfortable with them?"

"Yes, but I've told her not to push herself. If she feels she can't do it, she doesn't have to. It takes steps, and there's a lot of them. She can take a few at a time and take a break-"

There was a sudden shout at the front door, followed by laughter coming from the teens. The conversation was quickly put to a stop the moment they walked back in, Mikasa's and Armin's hands filled with the bags, but Eren's arms were filled with a giggling blonde on his back. Levi couldn't help the smile that came across his lips, happy to see his kids so carefree. Whatever it was Hanji was doing, be it the notebooks and anything else, was working. He was glad to see them all smiling and happy.

"Who's the big bag for?" Eren asked as he adjusted his grip on Armin's thighs, making sure he wouldn't drop him. This didn't stop his roaming eyes from falling to the bags, trying to place what was inside of them.

"I said no peeking, Eren." Levi reprimanded him quickly. The brunette's green eyes instantly lifted, looking up instead of down.

"I wasn't peeking..." He uttered.

"Uh huh..."

"What did you get us?" Armin asked as he wiggled in the teen's arms, trying to jump down. Eren was in no hurry to let him go though.

"There's nothing in there very special. It's just stuff you might need... And maybe a few other things." Levi said, trying hard to fight off the amusement he felt when he saw the giddiness on their faces.

"Can we open them now?" Mikasa asked as she quickly approached the adults, her hands careful not to knock the bags into anything.

"I guess so..."

"Really...?" Eren followed, not letting Armin go until the blonde finally forced himself out of his arms.

"Me first!" He cheered.

"Hey! That's not fair!" Eren grabbed at him from behind and pulled him back, yanking a yip from him and enticing some laughter to follow.

"How about you give me the bags and I'll give you what I got you. Sound fair?" Levi asked, hearing the quiet chuckle from his commanding officer hidden under his breath.

"Deal!" Armin agreed and fought to break free from Eren's grasp.

"You guys are way too hyper so early in the morning..." Levi told them. The teens piled together on the floor, feet crossing together and eyes looking up at them expectantly, hoping he'd stop talking and just hand out the gifts.

He couldn't reprimand their actions, not today anyway. It's been three years since the teens had a proper Christmas, and who knows how long it would be before they could have another? It could all fall apart again quicker than it was building up, so they had to savor this moment while they had it.

"Alright, so who wants their gifts first?" He asked, amused. He knew what the answer would be long before their hands shot up into the air.

"Me!" All three of them chimed simultaneously.

"Alright, how about I give each of you your first gift, and then you can open them at the same time? Sound fair?"

Even if it did sound fair, he wasn't about to argue with them on it. That was the rule and that was how it was staying. So no arguments came about as he pulled the gifts from their decretive bags and handed them out. All three of them held their presents anxiously, waiting, just waiting for him to give them a sign or the okay. The longer they waited, the longer Levi seemed to prolong the inevitable, however.

"Levi..." Eren whined, his lips turning down in a frown.

"Oh yeah. Did I not say go yet?" Levi questioned to himself.

"Levi...!" The brunette whined again.

"Alright, alright," Levi relented, hearing the way Hanji laughed at their behavior. "Go on. Open your presents."

It became a whirlwind of colorful and decretive paper, ribbons coming off of the boxes and paper being torn into shreds to get to what was underneath. Levi felt a little bad for the wrapping paper and how quickly its necessity became meaningless, but nonetheless he waited patiently for the reactions to follow from the teens. He already said that the presents weren't anything within spectacular reach, just small things the kids would need that Hanji had briefly mentioned to him over the phone. Things he had no problems getting for them, and then a few other things he knew would be appreciated greatly.

"Mikasa, that's really pretty," Armin's voice was the first to chime in, but not at his own gift. He found that he was having a hard time with the tape trapping his gift within the box. Mikasa, on the other hand, had already managed hers open with quick and nimble fingers (She used her nails with purpose). Inside her box was a purple, oversized, cotton sweater. Its dimensions were bigger than the usual sweater would be for a girl her size, but Levi had been assured by a sales rep that it was meant to be big. It's what gave it its design and fashion.

The officer didn't know what any of that meant of course. He just thought it looked warm.

"This feels so nice." She commented while running the fabric against her cheek.

"Like I said, I only got what I thought you guys would need. I'm not sure of your favorite colors or what you like, so I just went with what looked comfortable and would keep you warm for winter." Levi reasoned, a little self-doubt in his own choices rising up within his gut. However, the young teen shook her head as she tossed the item over her head to slip it on.

"No, I like it…" She told him, her eyes dropping as she looked at the baggy sleeves. She must have felt relief to be able to cover up her scars, but Levi could sense the lack of sleep suddenly rearing its head on her. All of the bounding energy she had moments before was suddenly gone and replaced with sleepiness.

"I'm glad," He told her.

"Whoa…!" Armin's tone cracked in surprise as he finally managed to get his gift out of its wrapping. Inside was an old and heavy book, covered in old, worn out leather. The engraving on the front was of a tree with roots that grew downwards, connecting to the spine of the book. The size of it alone was overwhelming, but all that did was intrigue the blonde to the highest possible levels. "H-How did you… Where did you find this?"

"Erwin and Hanji said you were snooping around for a copy of it online." Levi mentioned.

"Yeah, but it was so expensive!"

"I've got some friends in high places." Erwin explained after having been quiet for so long.

"What is it, Armin?" Eren asked as he leaned over to take a look at the book.

"It's that book of myths my grandfather had, at least a copy of it anyway. It's got everything from fairies to Atlantis. I…" Armin's eyes burned with tears as he held the book, feeling the familiar texture beneath his fingertips once more.

"I haven't seen that thing in ages…" Mikasa murmured, her fingers already pulling at another gift for herself.

"Yeah…" Armin agreed.

"I remember when you first brought that to me." Eren said, his head leaning into the blonde's for a better look at the cover. "I remember how your eyes lit up when you talked about the Greek Gods for the first time. Jeeze, you were practically blushing when you told me all about each one and their powers. Who was your favorite again?"

"Cronos, the God of time. I used to envy all of his abilities and the stories I read. I used to wish I could control time myself, so then I would know when and where to be, or what to do when bullies came after me. I wanted to feel like I could control myself and my life better with just that…" Armin smiled bitterly as he wiped at his eyes with the back of his sleeve. "But I remember liking Aphrodite, the Goddess of love."

Eren tilted his head, a coy smile pulling his lips apart as he looked down at the teen.

"For obvious reasons…" He added and looked away, his cheeks dusted with a soft blush.

" _Obvious_ …" Mikasa uttered under her breath.

"What was that?" The brunette asked.

"Nothing," She answered and turned her attention back to her gift.

"Oh behave, you guys." Hanji chided playfully while looking over to the two adults sitting adjacent to her. Erwin rolled his eyes at the woman before patting Levi's shoulder, offering the older man a nod.

"I have to get going," He told him.

"I'm surprised you're here in the first place. You should be at home with your wife." Levi berated him with a frown.

"She's the one who suggested it. I told her I wouldn't be long, so might as well not keep her waiting." The man explained and handed Hanji his cup. "Kids, behave yourselves."

"You're leaving already?" Eren asked with a pout.

"Yeah, but you knew I wouldn't be staying long." Erwin offered as he carefully stepped over the blonde teen. Armin was so into his book that he didn't even hear the man talk. "I want you guys to enjoy today though. Take care of yourselves, okay?"

"Alright," Mikasa agreed, followed by Eren who was more interested in trying to get Armin to recognize his leaving.

"See you later, Erwin!" Hanji called after the man.

"Have a great Christmas, everyone." He looked back one last time to wave, mostly towards the kids (Armin was too far gone into his book to care anymore), before disappearing down the hall. They waited for a moment before hearing the door slam shut so they could get back to their unwrapping, but Levi had one more personal thing to give.

"Hey, Mikasa…"

"Yes…" Mikasa's black eyes looked up from her box, having been inspecting the new shoes with clinical interest.

"I have something I wanted to give you." The officer said and pulled a bag close. Mikasa looked down at her gift, as if to ask if this wasn't enough, but the man held his hand up. "Now, you three know that a few weeks ago, the place you were living before was raided."

"Hanji said they looked through it for evidence." Ere mumbled dejectedly.

"To which I also said that there's plenty of evidence against Grisha. We just want to keep facts and evidence straight to make sure there are no holes the lawyers could jump through." She assured.

"Well, they did a good job with the cleanup…" Levi's hand reached into the bag, eyes looked down at the item he was ready to show her. "And I remember seeing you wear this often. I thought this was important to you, so I made sure to get it back." He pulled, bringing out the red and tarnished fabric for her eyes to find and widen at the sight of it.

"My scarf!" She cried with a mixture of surprise and relief. Levi held it out, and it took no time at all to watch it disappear and reappear in her hands. The teen pressed the soft fabric to her cheek, feeling the texture, smelling the scent of herself and her family,  _remembering_  just how much this tattered piece of cloth meant to her.

Her outburst was enough to pull Armin from his book. He looked over curiously, but as soon as he saw the all too familiar sewing of her worn out scarf, a soft smile pulled at his lips.

"That thing will never part from you, will it?" He asked, his voice scattered on an emotional chuckle. Mikasa nodded her head, her vison blurring as tears rose to the surface. She thought she had lost it forever the moment they were taken into custody, but Levi, her oh-so-kind family, was willing to give her that one piece of her past that meant more to her than most realized.

"I remembered how important it was to you…" Levi told her and weakly smiled.

This was the little girl he remembered. It wasn't much, but somehow the relief brought back a look that made him remember the times he had last seen her, the times she was a spitfire child with little to no vocabulary skills.

Oh how times had changed.

"Thank you…" She breathed, her breath hot against her face as it collected into the fabric. She looked over to Eren who had been holding back his own voice. He felt tears pricking at the corners of his eyes, but who cried on Christmas? This was supposed to be a happy holiday, not one of tears.

His sister smiled before holding out her scarf, offering it to him in a timid gesture. The teen chuckled under his breath before taking it up and wrapping it around her neck. It had been a long time since he had last done this, but it brought back memories. Good, bad, sad, happy, and painful memories.

"Better…?" Eren asked as he settled the last of her scarf over her head.

Just the way he did all those years ago.

"Much…" She replied and nodded her head.

"You should at least let me buy you a new one. This thing is starting to smell."

"I'll wash it." She rejected quickly and turned away. She was too happy just to have it back with her. She couldn't part with it now.

"The point of the scarf was not to make you cry." Levi interjected. His niece laughed as she cuddled into her warm attire.

"I'm not sad. I promise…" She said as she wiped away her tears.

"Eren…" Hanji looked over to the brunette sitting quietly, his first present still partially unwrapped in his lap. "Sweetie, is something wrong?"

"No, not at all." He said. It was hard to tell if he was telling the truth or not. His eyes were red from the multiple emotions he felt, from the sights and sounds around him. He was already teetering on the edge of tears, so one couldn't be sure if he was upset or not.

"Then why aren't you opening your presents?" Hanji questioned with a frown. Eren looked down at his gift, fingers playing with the green ribbon hanging off of it. His shoulders shrugged, as if to say he didn't know, but he answered her without much thought to his words.

"I already got what I wanted…" He spoke quietly, eyes looking over to his sister and then to Armin. His smile widened when the blonde looked up at him with his big, blue eyes, his cheeks a light pink before he turned back to his book, trying to hide his embarrassment. "I don't think any other gift would compare to this one…"

"Yes, well, it wasn't about beating gifts, but… I guess this is a pretty nice one." Levi agreed. Eren chuckled under his breath, his fingers beginning to finish the task of unwrapping his gift.

"It's snowing!" Armin's sudden outburst made everyone jump, because, like his sister, it was rare for the blonde to raise his voice. With the book in hand, Armin jumped up from the floor and ran over to the window. Mikasa and Eren soon followed, equally as happy to see the first snowfall of the season. Sure, there had been some flurries, but when it became a heavy snowfall and the streets were covered in a thin blanket, Levi had not a clue.

"Look at that! It's a white Christmas after all!" Hanji cheered.

"Let's go outside! Come on!" Armin spoke frantically before darting to the hallway, Eren and Mikasa at his tail.

"You guys only get an hour, okay? I don't want you getting sick!" Levi called after them, but it was seemingly ignored in favor of getting their heavy winter gear on.

* * *

All had fallen quiet. It had been hours of pulling presents out of boxes and admiring new gifts, and after that and a heavy dinner of turkey and other heavy foods (It wasn't like the kids couldn't use it), and playing outside in the seemingly endless snow, the world seemed at peace.

Mikasa was out cold on the couch, securely in place with her warm sweater and the scarf a makeshift pillow. Armin was barely there, sitting within the recliner, feet dangling off of the arm of the chair and book barely within his grasp. They could see him lulling, trying to stay awake to continue reading, but the words were putting him to sleep. He couldn't stay awake, and chances were he wasn't reading anymore, just glancing at the words and barely making sense of them.

Hanji had busied herself with cleaning up in the kitchen. She hummed a Christmas tune to herself while she went about washing the dishes, leaving  
Levi to sit back on the floor and watch Christmas reruns.

Where was Eren?

Eren was tucking his family in. First it was Mikasa, because she was already asleep and wouldn't feel the blanket being laid on top of her as he tucked her in and kissed her forehead. Next was Armin, because by the time he finished that, Armin had little to no cognizance. He couldn't argue or fight back when Eren pulled the recliner out and resituated his feet so he was laying comfortably, and not with his head dangling off of the other arm. Eren used an extra blanket to cover him after carefully pulling the book from Armin's hands, or rather, pried it from Armin's hands. Even half asleep, the boy still had an iron grip on it. Eren marked the book's page, because he knew Armin would be furious if he lost it, and set it aside for later.

Somewhere along the way, Levi lost his attention to an old movie and watched the brunette with clinical interest. When it came to his family, Eren was undoubtedly a different person. He was calm, quiet, and relaxed. Composed and gentle, Eren would handle them as if they were fragile, but like Mikasa, he carried a lot of weight. He carried the weight of his crumbling family on his shoulders, and even now, where they were safe with food in their bellies, he took great care of them.

Levi watched for a bit longer as Eren took care to tuck Armin in. He made sure every bit of him was covered by the blankets so he wouldn't catch a cold before brushing his bangs from his face and kissing his forehead. The older man looked away for a moment, feeling as if he were intruding on something he shouldn't have been seeing. However, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of something (What, he wasn't sure), at the way Eren paid closer attention to the blonde.

He wouldn't admit that out loud though. He  _couldn't_.

"Armin would be upset if I lost his page…" Levi looked up, finding that the kiss had long since passed and Eren set the book down on the coffee table, far out of harm's way. Levi looked to the book, finding where Eren had marked the page by a stray piece of wrapping paper, but he felt himself questioning the mark.

"He didn't get that far into the book already, did he?" He asked as the teen sat beside him.

"Yeah, Armin reads at the speed of light." Eren explained and leaned his head down onto the officer's shoulder. He sighed, taking in the quiet surroundings, so peaceful and relaxed. He hadn't felt so calm in such a long time.

"Obviously. Hell, can he read reports for me?" Levi asked and rubbed at his head. Eren grabbed at his free hand, and it was only now that Levi paid attention to the brace on his hand. "How is your thumb?"

"It's okay," The teen answered with a tired smile. "The stitches are gone, but I whacked my hand on the bathroom door the other night, so the brace needs to stay on a bit longer." He explained and wiggled his hand.

"Why did you do that?" Levi questioned with a frown.

"Hanji was taking too long in the bathroom, and I really had to pee." Eren replied sheepishly and hummed under his breath.

"Sounds more intentional than accidental."

"Do you know she takes three hours to shower?"

"Yes, fully aware." Levi took up his hand carefully, rubbing his fingers against the tan skin that was exposed. "Hanji took me in for a few months after I left the hospital, so I know exactly how bad that is. Believe it or not, she took a lot longer a few years back."

"You're kidding…"

"It's an improvement…" Levi stifled a laugh, watching as his niece rolled over in her sleep to face towards the couch. "You tired…?"

"A little…" Eren answered, followed by a yawn.

"You should rest. It's been a long ass day of excitement and playing." The officer suggested and patted Eren's leg.

"Not yet…" He mumbled stubbornly.

"Why not…?" Levi questioned with a frown. "You need to rest. You're going to make yourself sick."

"Not yet…" The brunette repeated.

"Could you at least tell me why?" The older man asked. Eren looked up at him, green eyes fogged over with sleep and cheeks tinted pink. Despite how he looked as if he were ready to pass out at any moment (His eyes were heavy and drooping like he was falling into a deep slumber), he stayed awake and held firm on his resolution.

"Captain… Can I ask for a favor…?"

* * *

Pulling up to the graveyard, for whatever reasons, had a nostalgic feeling for the brat.

The two got out of the car, the crunch of snow beneath their feet deafening to the silence surrounding them. Eren hesitated at his door, hands gripping the handle as he looked upon the endless marked graves of friends, families, and loved ones.

"Are you sure you want to do this...?" Levi's voice broke the morose silence as he walked around to Eren.

"... Y-Yeah," He didn't sound positive, but let his feet touch the ground regardless. The officer offered him a hand, to which Eren took up gratefully. He was a shaking mess, but the cold had nothing to do with it. He was afraid, but damn him and his pride. He wouldn't give in.

"We don't have to do this today. They'll still be here in a week or so." Levi assured him and squeezed his hand gently.

"No, I have to do this. If I don't... If I don't I'll just chicken out again..." Eren's green eyes looked to him for a moment, quivering and red, all the obvious signs that he was teetering on the edge of tears once more. "I have to face them."

"Alright..." Levi spoke softly and helped him to his feet. The car was then left abandoned as they began walking, Eren's arms wrapped around Levi's and holding tight. He mostly clung and hid, his head barely leaning into the older man's. He felt that, if he wasn't as short, the teen would rest his head in the crook of his shoulder.

Curse him for being so tall.

The two of them walked silently, arm in arm, snow falling quietly around them. They walked for what felt like forever, but not much time had passed before they came upon the marked graves of fallen officers, of comrades who had lost their lives just to protect such a selfish world.

All of them were older. It had been a long time since they lost their friends and family, and for that, the man was grateful. However, they came up to the marked graves of the most recent ones, the ones of the lives lost a little more than a month ago. The four graves of dearly loved ones who'd risked everything just for the three teens who could live to see another day.

They weren't alone.

Eren and Levi stopped a few feet away from Petra's grave, quiet as they looked at the man standing in front of it. His shoulders had long since fallen, and guessing by the accumulation of snow on his shoulders and hood, he had been there for a while now. They couldn't see his face very well, but Levi seemed to know who the man was without much thought.

"Mr. Ral," He greeted quietly. The man he addressed lifted his head and looked back at them, eyes broken and tired. He looked utterly miserable.

"Oh, Captain Ackerman." He returned the greeting with an equally broken and strained voice. How long had he been standing out in the cold now?

"Please, I've told you before. You don't need to call me that. Levi is just fine." The man assured him. Eren looked between the two, eyes wondering over the lonesome man and realization dawning on him quickly.

This was Petra's father.

"I'm sorry. I'm so used to hearing my baby refer to you by that. I guess I can't break an old habit." His voice shook, because there wasn't a doubt in either of their minds that the baby he spoke of was Petra. She was his only child after all, and it was no secret that his daughter meant everything to him.

"It's alright," Levi assured. "Are you just visiting?"

He knew the answer already. He hoped he could strike some realization into the man though. If not that, then maybe the frozen toes and red nose should have said something.

"Ah... Yes..." He looked back to her grave, taking in a deep breath. "I would have brought flowers, but there's no more need for useless death."

Eren swallowed a lump forming in his throat. Hearing the man speak in such a tired way had his eyes welling up with tears and his heart beating painfully within his chest.

Petra's death was not useless. She was not a useless person, but he hadn't meant that by his words. He meant that her death was useless, that it should have never happened to begin with.

It still hurt.

"How are you doing?" Levi asked him gingerly.

"... It's hard... It's my first Christmas without my little girl..." He uttered. "I'm sad... But I've never been more proud of her than I am now..."

Levi felt the grip around his arm tighten, the warmth beside him drawing closer. Eren was trying to hide himself, but for what reason he wasn't sure.

"Petra died... Doing what she loved. She hated it. Truly she did, but knowing she helped someone and made a difference meant more to her than anything, and knowing she was making a difference in those poor kids' lives... I'm the proudest father I can be..." The man turned on his feet, pulling on his scarf bundled up around his neck. "But you know this already, Captain."

"How so...?"

"Petra spoke so fondly of you." The man said, a bitter smile pulling on his lips. "She always talked about how great you were, how strong of a person you were within such tough cases. Honestly, I was waiting for her to up and propose to you myself, but I guess she hid her feelings better than I thought."

 _No_. That's what Levi wanted to say. He wanted to say that no, she wasn't good at hiding her feelings. In fact, it would have been easier had she just written them on her forehead. She was that type of person when it came to Levi, and he wished with all of his might that he wouldn't be reminded of it.

"But I thank you... For taking such great care of my daughter." Petra's father tilted his head towards Levi and Eren, who had been uncharacteristically silent until now. "I should go. I have to feed the dogs before they start eating the Christmas tree..."

With that, he turned to leave.

"Mr. Ral!" Eren suddenly called out and stepped forward, his body shaking when the man turned to look at him. He hesitated, lips parted, but fumbling for words to speak. He knew what he wanted to say, it was just getting it out that was the problem.

"Yes, my boy?" He questioned, obviously confused. He hadn't met him yet, but the teen knew who he was it seemed.

"Uhm... T-Thank you for the food..." Eren stuttered, eyes falling to the sparse snow beneath their feet. "A month ago, you gave Petra food to give to us... The steak bits and gravy… I-It was really good, so thank you..."

Levi couldn't have been more surprised had he tried. He stared up at the teen with wide eyes, waiting for something, but he didn't know what. Tears or a smile. Anger or sadness. He wasn't sure what he was expecting from the brunette, but it definitely wasn't this.

"... You must be Eren." The man said as he turned back to them. Eren looked up, his lips tuning in a frown as he tried to figure the man out. Had they met before? No, he'd never seen this man in his life. How did he know his name?

"H-How...?" He couldn't seem to find his words today.

"Petra talked about you too..." The man answered him. "About you and your sister..."

"Oh..."

Levi felt the arm around him tighten again. Any tighter and the circulation would be cut off.

"She spoke highly of you."

Eren tilted his head, hoping his bangs would cover his face. Either that or he hoped Levi would cover him for him.

"She... She did?"

"Yes, very. Very often too. She said you were very kind, very smart, and very strong despite your situation... I don't know what that is or what you've been through, but my daughter had a keen sense of judgement. She got it from her mother."

The man stepped forward, the snow crunching under his feet. Upon closer inspection, Eren could see the deep brown eyes of the man, hallowed out by pain and misery. Petra looked a lot like her father, but judging from what he spoke of, she was more like her mother.

"With that being said, I'll trust her judgement to know you're a good kid, and you'll do the right thing in the end." He told the brunette, his voice shaking with emotion. "Which means you have to prove her right. Petra was strong-willed and worked hard to give children like you a fresh start, so you can't let her work be for nothing. You can't let her death be a useless ending."

Eren's breath picked up, his bottom lip being chewed apart by his teeth. Tears pooled at the edges of his green eyes, threatening to spill over as evidence to his pain. Levi gave his hand a firm squeeze of reassurance, but it wasn't needed. He didn't need the reassurance. He just needed a moment.

"Don't let my daughter's death be in vain. Live, Eren, and live happily. That's all she ever asked in return from you." Petra's father choked up on his final words, but he wasn't alone.

The tears that had been burning his eyes finally spilled over, slipping down red cheeks and dripping off of his chin. He gasped, trying to collect his self, but Eren couldn't find it in himself to care for his wellbeing.

"I-I won't, s-sir..." He promised, teeth clenching together to bite out his words. "I promise... I-I..." He tucked his head back into Levi's neck, trying to hide his pain, but the dam had broken. There was no way he could stop now, even when he wanted to.

"Keep that promise." Her father spoke sternly.

"I will... I promise..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ChapterwastoohappyneededsomeangstImusthaveaseriousproblem.


	32. Truth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm still working on some stuff for Christmas. Hopefully I can get this Owari No Seraph fanfic done, and I'd like to do one for Tokyo Ghoul and K Project as well, but we'll see. I'd like to give some love to meh other ships that lead my armada into Neverland! I wanted to get this one out though. It's... Kind of a thing that you all knew was coming... That's right...
> 
> I did a thing.
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day because holy fuck I haven't done this in forever: 환청
> 
> By: Jang Jae In

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 32: Children**

* * *

This was disgusting.

The further Levi dove into the missing and found reports for babies, the more he was disgusted with humanity.

Within the two year time span Mikasa had given him where her children were born, over eight thousand new born babies were left behind in the streets, and of those eight thousand, only thirty-five hundred were found and put into foster or adoption systems. Forty-five hundred were found dead from the cold, rain, sun, or lack of nourishment. Of the thirty-five that were in the foster system, most, having been left out in a garbage dump for an extended period of time, now were reported with some disorder, such as a slowly decreasing mental capacity. These children were sick, and due to their mental decline, no one wanted them.

No one wanted a sick child. They only wanted a healthy kid they would spend less time on.

Were Mikasa's children two of the lucky thirty-five hundred to survive? Were they sick or mentally retarded after the gruesome life they've had to endure? Or were they one of the unlucky ones? Were they part of that forty-five hundred that never got to see a stable and happy family?

His chances were looking grim. With each report he looked through, he found his hope drastically falling. He began with the year the children were found, and then the month and day Mikasa had them. Even narrowed down like that, there were ninety-eight children around that time frame that had been found.

Only sixty-three survived.

He couldn't think of any ways to narrow his search further. Mikasa had said she never saw the children from the moment they left her body, so she couldn't have possibly known where Grisha took them too. She couldn't have possibly known if he left them to die or kept them for something else. He could only hope that there was a God, enough of one to be sure those kids weren't sold into slavery or sex shops. If that were the case, he couldn't promise anyone he wouldn't head to Grisha's cell and kill him.

He had narrowed it down this far, but now he had to look through each individual report. He had to look through them and hope something popped out at him. Maybe one of the reports will have something in it that the others didn't? Such as an Asian child.

There were only thirteen Asian children in the long list of reports in front of him, and Levi could only hope that one or both of them looked like Mikasa. He'd seen her baby photos plenty of times, all from his sister who constantly sent them to him so he could look at her as she grew up. It was enough for him to even point out her exact dimples when she smiled or the specific cringe in her nose when his sister was feeding her something she didn't like.

Report after report, his hope was dwindling further. Each child's report he read through, most having some injuries on their faces after being left outside to fend for themselves, were not Mikasa's kids. It wasn't until he was down to the last three that a little sliver of luck started to show.

It wasn't even their faces that struck him at first. It was the things written in their reports.

The first baby, the oldest by a year, had been dropped off at someone's doorsteps. There was no basket, no note, not even food for them left behind. There was only a thin blanket wrapped around them. The couple who had been living there heard the baby crying around three fifteen in the morning, and made a report the moment they brought the child, a young boy, into the house. They weren't entirely sure when the child was dropped off, however.

The second child, the youngest by a year, was left at the same house for the same couple who had adopted the first. It was another baby boy, and it was at a completely different time. The couple came home a little after noon to see the baby on their front doorstep, crying after receiving a severe sunburn from being outside for so long. He was immediately rushed to the hospital, where he was taken care of. Neighbors were interviewed, and only one, an older woman who had been finishing up her gardening, said she saw a strange man in a heavy overcoat drop the baby off. Her explanation as to why she didn't call the police was because she thought he was dropping off a package. The baby hadn't been crying at that time, so she didn't know the difference.

These two were the ones that struck out to Levi, and after looking at their pictures, he knew he was looking at Mikasa's face.

There was something else though.

He was looking at Mikasa's face. He didn't doubt that for a minute. He saw the little dimples on the oldest, and he saw the cringe in the youngest ones nose, who was beat red and skin was peeling off from their burn. However, he was seeing someone else.

Someone else he shouldn't have been seeing.

* * *

Levi waited patiently after knocking on the door. Well, as patiently as someone in his position could wait. He wouldn't deny that he was anxious about this whole situation, and there was a part of him hoping that he saw wrong. He was hoping that these weren't going to be Mikasa's kids just as much as he hoped they were. If they were, this meant that they were alive, healthy, and living decent lives.

Why wasn't he hoping for that the most? He really couldn't tell.

Levi heard the lock on the other side of the door unhinge itself before swinging open slowly. Behind it stood a young woman with reddish hair and freckles to match. She had a nice, kind smile on her, and somehow fifty pounds of weight lifted off of Levi's shoulders when he saw the all too familiar features of the girl standing before him.

"Oh, Captain Levi." She uttered in surprise.

"Hannah…" He said and looked back to the numbers engraved above the door.

He didn't have the wrong house, did he? No, this wasn't the wrong house. This was the address marked down in the files, the address where the children had been dropped off and later adopted, but he had been so quick to jump and get here that he hadn't bothered looking at the names of the people who lived here. He hadn't bothered to realize that he knew who lived here, that he knew of the woman and her husband who had taken these kids in.

This made things all the more complicated.

"It's been a while, Captain. What can I help you with?" Hannah asked him as she leaned against the door.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't really aware that it was you I was looking for." Levi remarked and looked back to her.

"You were looking for me?" She questioned with a crease in her brows.

"Yes, you and your husband." The officer told her. "Hannah, almost three years ago… There were children dropped off at your doorstep, right?"

Sure enough, given the morose topic, Hannah's barely there smile disappeared, worry spreading across her features.

"… Yes, our two son's." She answered. "This… Has something to do with them, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but I think it'd be better if this conversation was inside where it's warmer, and where your neighbors can't eavesdrop." Levi said and looked around. This was police business that didn't need to be shared.

"Yes, of course. Please come in." She offered when she realized that they were both standing out in the cold, snow barely edging to her socks. Levi walked inside after she stepped aside to the pleasant home, the smell of cookies wafting through the air. It was warm, and distantly he thought he could hear the sound of a fire pit crackling behind the sound of a television.

"Thank you," Levi said as he looked around the room.

"I'll be right back," The woman said and began walking further into her house. Levi watched her disappear around a corner before he heard her talking to someone. It was a brief conversation before she returned with a man at her side, a man that Levi could only assume was her husband. "I'm sorry about that. Captain, I don't believe you've met my husband yet."

"Officer Levi, it's nice to finally meet you," The man offered up a worried smile as he held out his hand. "I'm Frantz."

"Pleasure to finally meet you," Levi said and shook it.

"It's nice to meet you. Is there something we can help you with, Officer?" He asked, obviously worried.

"Yes actually."

"He said this was about our boys…" Hannah uttered worriedly. "You aren't taking them, are you?"

"No, of course not. No one is in trouble if that's what you're concerned for too." Levi assured them as they offered a seat in the living room. He sat down on the recliner as they took a seat on the couch beside him, the air growing thick around them.

It was now that Levi saw a play pen in the corner of the room, empty minus the toys inside it. There was a rocker beside it, also empty, but covered in what seemed to be the remains of a child's dinner.

"Does this have anything to do with their mother?" Frantz asked, already knowing the reason for him being here.

"Possibly." Levi simply responded.

"How is it possibly?" Hannah questioned with a frown.

"Well... I believe I found their biological mother, but I didn't want to come to conclusions without solid evidence." Levi stated, not holding back. "And I wanted to see for myself if these were really her kids or not…"

"She wants them back, right?" The woman asked again, her hands moving to hold her husbands.

"We are going to fight for them, you know." Frantz stated daringly. "She abandoned them, so obviously she didn't want them. She can't just come back into their lives now after putting them through that."

Levi held up his hand, quickly stopping the man and his argument in his tracks.

"It's the opposite. I promise." Levi said and leaned forward in the chair. "... She was a victim. At fifteen years old, she was raped and forced to have her kid, but the baby was taken from her. At sixteen, it happened again. She never knew what happened to her kids, but now that she's getting help, she just wants to know if they're alive and safe."

The parents seemed struck by looks of guilt and understanding. They shared a look with one another, Hannah's eyes tearing up before they looked back at him.

"She doesn't want them back; she doesn't even want them knowing about her. She's terrified of the day they may find out about her, and I understand why... She wanted me to tell you to make sure they never find out who she is. She doesn't want them knowing about her, and she doesn't want them thinking that they were ever abandoned, forgotten about, or even unloved. She wants them as happy as possible, and that's it."

"She really said that…?" Frantz asked.

"Yes. She wants to make sure they're healthy with a happy family, and that's my main reason for being here today." Levi told them. "That, and to make sure that these are really her kids. Like I said, I don't want to jump to conclusions without solid evidence."

Hannah wiped at her eyes, having cried from the story she was given. All of this time, they assumed the worst of the mother that had abandoned their children.  _She_  assumed the worst. She thought the vilest of things and cursed the woman over and over again, hoping she got what she deserved.

Now she heard the truth. Now she heard that this woman, this  _child_ herself, was never intent on abandoning her child. She wanted to protect them, and first and foremost, make sure that they were healthy. She wanted the best for them, so how could she possibly think such things up about this girl?

Well, that was if she was her mother.

"We just put them down for their naps, but you're more than welcome to come see them." Hannah assured him and stood. Her eyes were still red and puffy from crying, but she needed this confirmation. She needed the truth  _now_.

Levi nodded his head, but only moments after he stood did they hear a shrill cry of a child break out from a room down the hall.

"Speak of the devil," Frantz said in an amused tone. The three of them made their way to the children's room, where another frantic scream came from. Obviously the first had woken the second up, and now both of them were in a frenzied panic.

Levi wasn't really one for screaming kids. Kids were fine. He liked kids, but screaming kids? No, not so much.

"Are they always like this?" He asked as they stepped into the room.

His eyes quickly found the first child standing in his crib, his tiny hands holding onto the railing as he wailed. The second was laying on his back, because he was still too young to be able to stand it seemed. This was also the one who had suffered sun damage, but prolonged exposure could have done something more to him.

"He's had a sinus infection for the past few days. He's on antibiotics, but the medicine is keeping him awake." Hannah explained as she moved to the first child.

"And because he woke him up, now he's a crying mess."

Levi watched Frantz as he walked over to the adjacent crib and picked up his kid. The little boy was definitely smaller than the first, making Levi question his health. He hoped with all of his might that both were strong, healthy children, but he couldn't be sure. He didn't know how badly either one of them had it. Only a few minutes old and suddenly ripped away from your mother's arms was not a healthy decision to make.

The side effects could have been irreversible, but he had to hope that this wasn't the case.

"Calm down, sweetie." Hannah said in a soothing tone as she bounced her son within her arms. "Stop crying now. Officer Levi needs to see your face, so you need to give him a nice, big smile, okay?"

The smile wasn't needed.

Levi took a few steps forward, bracing himself against the wailing of the child before he managed to get a good look at his face.

It was now that he realized without a doubt in his mind that this was Mikasa's kid. This was her son, because he knew those dimples. He knew that fuzzy black hair and those puffy baby cheeks.

But he knew those green eyes.

Levi's eyes darted over to the second son, the youngest between the two.

He saw Mikasa in him too. He saw those dark black eyes, the obvious Asian features, but if his memory served him correctly, Mikasa wasn't a natural blonde. She didn't have such a round nose as a baby, or those rounded out cheeks. She had them as a baby, but not like this. Those round cheeks were features to someone else, a certain teen who without a doubt had that blonde hair and those round cheeks, even after being hollowed out by the painful world.

Mikasa didn't have blonde hair. She didn't have green eyes, round cheeks, or tan skin.

The second one was as pale as one could get, just like she was, but the oldest wasn't.

His eyes were too vibrant and green, but mistakenly shaped like her own.

The air within his lungs froze.

These were Eren and Armin's kids.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You all knew it was coming...


	33. One Last Gift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, someone told me I should go die because of this fanfic. Thank you reviewer. Your review gives me an idea as to what reactions I'm pulling from the readers, therefor I can learn from it. I definitely appreciate your comment, but you should be careful about how you word things. Telling someone to "Go die like the end of this story" could actually get you in a lot of trouble. I wasn't sure if you know that. ^^
> 
> Anyway, thank you to Lady Mari chan with all the help on this fanfic. Usually I'm not too bad of a slacker, but for this chapter, I was just out of it. I couldn't even title it, so credit goes to her for that as well as a lot of proofing and careful reading. :)
> 
> -Misty  
> P.S. Mentions of incest... Even though they aren't related. e-e How does that work?

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 33: One Last Gift**

* * *

Levi waited. He waited patiently. He waited as patiently as a man in his position could. He waited for what felt like hours, but was only minutes before the front door opened, Hanji standing behind it with a mug of something steaming in her hand.

"Levi...?" She questioned and squinted. It wasn't often she wasn't wearing her glasses, but guessing on the pajamas she wore, she must have been preparing for bed.

"Hey," He responded and shifted on his feet.

"It's late, Levi. What is it with you and your bad sense of timing?" She asked and smiled, her usual playful demeanor coming about.

"Is Mikasa awake...?" Levi questioned.

"Yeah, but the kids were just about to go to bed."

"I need to talk to her." He said and tried pushing past her, but she stood up straighter to stop him.

"Levi, you can't."

"Hanji," The older man said sternly, his eyes glaring at her in a way that said he was serious. This couldn't be ignored. "I need to talk to her..."

Hanji seemed taken aback by the suddenness of his attitude, her eyes widening in surprise, but then concern.

"... Sure," She turned to the side and opened her door further, allowing the officer room to walk in.

Levi nodded his head in thanks before walking into the apartment, looking at the drastically different setting.

The Christmas lights were down now, and the Christmas tree had long since been packed. It had been two weeks since he had least seen the kids after all, and that left him with a gap in time and not knowing what was going on with them.

"The kids are in the guest room." Hanji told him as she shut the door behind him.

"Thanks..." He said carefully over his shoulder before walking down the hall.

The voices he heard within the room not too far off were undoubtedly his kids. He could hear the quiet conversation, all three of them discussing something not too important in a hushed tone. He felt the need to knock before entering, but the door was already open, allowing him the view of them in their respectful beds. Well, Mikasa was anyway. Eren and Armin sat in bed together despite the pull out not too far off.

This didn't come as much of a surprise.

"Are you falling asleep, Armin?"

"Eren, don't poke at him like that. Let him sleep."

"He's sleeping on the blankets though."

"I'll move... Just five more minutes..."

Levi watched the exchange between the teens, his head leaning against the door frame. He watched quietly, not bothering to interrupt them. Did he really want to though?

Did he really want to do this? Did he really want to interrupt them and their peace for this information? Sure, their babies were alive, but did the three of them want to know that? Did Eren and Armin even know they were the fathers of Mikasa's babies? Did  _she_  even know that?

Could he really do this to them? It could wait until tomorrow, couldn't it?

Levi didn't get the chance to consider it any longer. As Armin shifted to allow Eren room on the bed, his tired, blue eyes inevitably fell on him.

"Officer Levi...?" He asked, voice etched with exhaustion. Levi stopped short of leaving when Mikasa and Eren looked to him, fearing he'd upset them if all they saw was him disappearing. He couldn't turn back now.

"Levi...?" Mikasa questioned and stood up from her bed. Eren looked too shocked to say or do something.

"Hey guys..." He greeted quietly.

"What are you doing here?" Mikasa was quick to hug the man, having not seen him since Christmas Day. Two weeks felt like an eternity to the kids, but they were grateful regardless.

"I need to talk to you..." Levi whispered into her ear. The girl pulled back, a frown on her lips as she looked down at the man with confusion.

"What's this about?" She asked with concern.

"Why don't we talk about this outside?"

Levi didn't want to bring Eren and Armin into this. He had yet to find out if they knew about the kids, let alone about them belonging to them. He wasn't about to expose this new information to them so late into the night, not until he knew Mikasa was okay with it. If she was okay with it, then there were no problems, but not yet.

"... O-Okay," She agreed hesitantly. Something told him that she already had an idea of what this was about.

"Whatever you have to say to Mikasa, you can say in front of us."

The older man would say he was surprised by Eren's words, but part of him wasn't. Eren had always been brash and quick to speak when it came to his family, and because they were here didn't change anything.

Looking back to the two of the bed, Levi noticed the way Eren sat forward, as if standing his ground. Armin sat back, but he was wide awake now. There wasn't a shred of sleep in his eyes. He must have known that this was something important.

"If you're alright talking in front of them..." Levi mentioned to his niece.

"It's alright..." She agreed and nodded her head.

"Come here then." Her uncle took her hand and brought her back over to the bed her siblings sat on. She took a seat beside them as they moved to make room, giving Levi the time to pull out the chair from the desk and sit down in front of them.

"What is this about?" Armin spoke up timidly.

Levi adjusted himself in the chair, his body hunched over his knees to support himself better as he looked at the three of them.

"... It's about your kids, Mikasa..." He said carefully.

He wouldn't admit who they belonged to. Not yet.

"My..." The girl mumbled, voice trembling. Her eyes burned with fresh memories of those days, her hidden fears suddenly arising.

"I found them." Levi told her.

"Don't say it..." She uttered and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Mikasa-"

"No don't!" She pleaded with him as she covered her ears. "Please don't!"

"They're alive, Mikasa," He told her while reaching out and touching her arms.

She sat back, eyes widening as she looked to him. Her hands fell back to her sides, fingers trembling as she took in this new information.

She had thought they were dead, hadn't she? She always wanted to know what had happened, but she knew the chances of them being alive were slim. To hear that they were alive was something she hadn't been expecting.

"They are...?" Eren asked, his eyes widening with surprise, but relief shown through.

So they at least knew  _of_  them.

"Alive, safe, and both with a family that's taking care of them and loving them to the fullest..." Levi assured them while taking up her hand again to give it a firm, reassuring squeeze.

"W-What... What are they?" She asked with a stutter.

Levi felt something bubble in his stomach, the remnants of a laugh sitting on his tongue. Of course that was her first question.

"Both boys..." He told her. Tears slipped down her cheeks as she covered her mouth, but Levi could see the smile stretching her cheeks apart. "They look so much like you, Mikasa. They're both so beautiful."

"And they're healthy?" She asked.

"The oldest had a sinus infection, but besides that, they're completely perfect."

A stuttering laugh spilled passed her lips as she leaned forward. Her smile was still there, but the tears remained. It was no longer of pain though. It was of relief. Pure, utter relief.

They were  _alive_. This was the best news she had been given in years. After everything, the loss of the others and the hell she endured, for  _once_ , she could breathe a sigh of relief.

"I know it's late and I know you're tired, but I just wanted to let you know. I figured it could ease your mind..."

"You have no idea..." She laughed at herself as she wiped at her eyes, feeling a tug on her arm from the blonde beside her.

They were alive, and now her family was back together. This was more than she could ask for.

"I'll let you get back to sleeping, alright?" Levi spoke softly and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. He felt a nod against his skin, a sign that she had replied favorably before standing up and pushing the chair back in.

He expected a lot more than that. He expected a fuss far greater or more questions to come about, but apparently that wasn't the case. Apparently all she really needed to know was that they were alive and healthy.

"They're Eren and Armin's kids, aren't they?"

Or maybe she needed to know that too.

Levi turned back at the door, eyes falling onto the three teens carefully. His first reaction was simple surprise. He didn't think she'd be so blunt about it.

His second reaction was to look at the boys. He was worried about them hearing this information, but from the expressions on their faces, they didn't seem shocked.

They had suspected this, hadn't they?

"Aren't they...?" Mikasa questioned, her voice smoother than before, but still shaky.

"... Yes, they are." There was no point in denying it. He wouldn't be able to hide it forever. "How did you know?"

"... Around the time I got pregnant..." She spoke carefully, noticing Armin's hand rubbing her back. "Around that time, it was only ever them... He wouldn't let us near other people until I admitted I was pregnant... After I talked to you, it just kind of made sense..."

"You should have said something..." Levi said as he brought the chair back.

"I think... I think I was trying to deny it... By blood we aren't related, but still... It's wrong, isn't it?"

"What do you think?" Levi asked her.

He wasn't sure what this conversation would bring about. Sure, by blood their relationship wasn't exact. By mind, however, they were closer than kith and kin. They were closer than most families could ever hope to be, and that spoke something far greater to them.

That must have been why it seemed so wrong.

"I think..." She mumbled.

"I think our kids are probably beautiful..." Armin suddenly spoke up. The three of them looked to him, finding his blue eyes looking down at his lap, but the spoken sentence prompted him to look up. "Well... It's not like we're very bad looking..."

"They could look like Jean..." Eren uttered, his voice breaking on a mix of a laugh and a scoff. Armin reached behind the girl and shoved at his arm, but in a playful manner.

"What do they look like?" Mikasa asked, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Levi sighed before pulling out his phone, fingers moving along the buttons to find his pictures.

"They both are very odd mixes of you guys. Eren, your son is the older one. He looks a lot more like you than Mikasa in some ways, like his green eyes and tan skin, but he's got the shape of her eyes and fuzzy, black hair. He also has a narrow jaw like she does, and those puffy baby cheeks she used to have." Levi saw the way Mikasa's eyes lit up, her cheeks pulling into a genuine smile. Even Eren was smiling at this, his eyes closing to picture what his son looked like.

"And mine...?" Armin asked.

"It's really an odd sort of combination, because you're both so pale already. He's got that little scrunch on his nose like you do, Armin, and I swear I've never seen a blonde Asian baby before." Levi commented. Sure, it wasn't the most appropriate comment to make, but it was the truth. "He's got your round cheeks, but Mikasa's eyes. Those big, black eyes of his just stare at you so curiously."

"That sounds like Armin," Eren retorted, to which the blonde rolled his eyes.

Levi shook his head fondly before finally finding the photos he had been looking for.

"They let me take pictures of them. Do you want to see?" He asked and held up his phone.

The three teens gathered closer, eyes peering carefully at the phone. The first photo was of Armin's son. The picture had been taken long after the two had settled, but the baby's cheeks and eyes were still tinted red. He was being held in Frantz's arms, but he was precariously left out of the picture. Levi had done this knowing the chances of Mikasa seeing it were high. He didn't want her seeing their new parents.

"Oh wow..." Armin uttered, eyes widening.

"He looks like you, Armin..." Mikasa commented while she admired the sight of her baby boy.

"I see what Levi means. He looks like you too, Mikasa..." Eren said while touching her arm. "He's got your eyes... But what happened to his cheek?"

"It's a scar," Levi told him. "He was left at their house, but he was left outside for so long that he got a nasty burn on his cheek. It's nothing serious though."

"Will he grow out of it?" Mikasa asked worriedly.

"It's hard to say. I think it'll always be discolored, but I don't think it'll be as bad when he gets older."

"He's perfect..." Armin mumbled, the words seeming more to himself than the others. "I've never thought about being a dad... I mean, I'm so young, but... But he's so... Perfect..."

"Just like you..." The brunette said. Armin's eyes widened as he turned his head, cheeks dark with a blush. Levi clicked his tongue before changing the photo.

"Here's Eren's kid." He said and held up the phone.

"Eren, he has your eyes," Mikasa seemed memorized by the sight of her child. Was it a relief to her that he looked more like Eren than he did her? "They're so big too..."

"No way. He looks more like you." Eren said.

"What...?" Armin questioned. "Eren, he looks like you."

"He's a loudmouth like you too." Levi remarked.

"What...?" Eren said with a frown, but it wasn't too serious.

"Well I was only there for a few minutes and then next thing I know the kid is screaming at me. He doesn't get that from her." Levi said and pointed to his niece. "She was a quiet child."

"Oh whatever..." Eren scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "He'll be open minded."

"And bark," Levi added.

"I don't bark!"

"You're right. He whines like a cat." Armin sarcastically asserted. Eren growled before jumping across the bed and jumping down on the teen. Armin yelped in surprise, but it soon broke out into laughter as the brunette began grabbing at his sides.

Levi rolled his eyes, landing them on the girl still sitting in front of him. Her eyes were still on the picture of her son, of his big, green eyes and crooked baby teeth. She looked so awestruck by the photo, and it was only that. Just a photo. He couldn't imagine what she'd be like if they were really there.

"They're perfect, aren't they?" She asked while touching the screen to pull the other photo back.

"They're pretty cool." Levi said and rubbed at her head. "You could have done better about the pick in genetics, but you did pretty damn well." The comment was made when Armin squeaked in surprise, but it was quickly followed up by Eren cussing him out. The two of them were such kids, but it wasn't a bad thing at all. In fact, that made it better.

"No, they're perfect." She said and leaned into his hand. "I'm so glad... So relieved that they're alive... And  _together_. They'll get to grow up with each other."

"They will..."

"Do you think they'll ever know?" She asked.

"Know what...?"

"That their parents... Aren't really theirs..."

"I can't promise they won't find out." He replied honestly. "They don't look like the couple who took them in. They'll figure it out eventually, if not Armin's kid. He'll be smart enough to notice it."

"So... What should happen if they find out? What do I do... If they come to find us?"

"I can't say, Mikasa..." Levi abandoned the chair in favor of sitting beside her. He ignored the way the two boys kept on wrestling each other despite their conversation, but that was alright. They needed the distraction. "When that times comes, if it comes, it's you who decides it."

"But..." She began, but stopped when Levi wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"Mikasa, that'll be a long time from now. Chances are they'll be grown up by the time they find out, and by then, you may have a better idea of what you want to do. Until then, be happy knowing they're alive, safe, and together."

"I am happy. I couldn't be happier if I tried... But I'm worried..."

"You should bring that up with Hanj- Ouch!" Levi sat back at the sudden kick to his thigh.

"He did it!" Eren yelled out.

"I did not! It was him!" Armin argued.

"Alright, you two. Time for bed," Mikasa told them in her mother like tone.

She shouldn't have been so worried. She'd do fine if and when the time came for her to see her kids again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Psst... Imma put some riren smut in the next chapter as a reward for all of you sticking by... Don't tell anyone... It's a secret... e-e


	34. Dreams Don't Come True

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lady Mari Chan had a fun time editing this chapter. X'D Anyway, I hope everyone had an awesome Christmas. :) And if you don't celebrate Christmas, maybe another holiday or none, then hey! I hope those days were awesome too. I hope you had an awesome day. I hope everyone has great goals for the new year too! :D It's been a crazy year of this terrible fanfic. Thanks for keeping up with it, you guys. Seriously. I appreciate you guys so much. ^^
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Under My Skin (Sarah Conner remix to Mirotic)

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 34: Dreams Don't Come True**

* * *

Fingers fluttered over tan, sweaty skin. Breath fanned against his neck, hot and heavy. Grey eyes peered into his, dark, desperate and needy.

It was too much.

"C-Captain...!" Eren huffed, his body convulsing as he was met with the harsh slap of another. The wet squelch between them was distracting, but it had blood pooling into his heated erection, trapped between deft fingers that stroked him thoroughly.

"My _name_ , Eren..." The man above him spoke deeply, too deeply. It was followed by fast and steady thrusts, his cock brushing up against that spot within him that had green eyes rolling back.

"L-Levi! Aha!" His voice bordered a screech, his body curling away. Fingers tangled into his hair and yanked back, pulling his face closer to the older man's. One would think that the position would put a strain on his neck, that it would hurt and ache, that it was too much, but it was just the opposite.

It didn't hurt.

"Say it, Eren."

"Le- Ahh-!" His throat constricted at the bad angle, but the dark eyes staring into his had tears pooling into his eyes. "Fuck, harder! Please!"

"We're taking this slow..."

Suddenly, the thick length pulled out completely. The brunette whined before he was forced onto his back, legs pushed up to his chest and aching from the position. His sweaty skin stuck together, his eyes looking over the officer as he lined himself up. As he looked down at him. As he caressed his cheek.

"C-Cap-... Levi..." Eren corrected himself in a breathless tone, body burning under the gaze of the officer.

"Are you alright?" Levi asked, hands running up his chest and pulling at the pert buds of flesh.

"D-Don't..." He pleaded with the man as his head tilted back into the pillows. "I'll come... I'll..."

"That's the point..."

Eren swore that the deepness of his tone was going to be the end of him. It was too hot, too sexual for someone like him to handle, and that said a lot coming from someone like him.

"Levi..." The brunette breathed heavily, his hand finding his cock and holding firm.

He didn't want this to end yet.

"Relax, Eren..." A warm, tender hand brushed against his heated cheek once more, fingers gentle and calming. It was enough to have him relax, but in the quick second it took to do that, his entrance made way for Levi's body.

"Fuck..." His voice cracked as he whined, legs parting to take more of the man in.

"Are you okay?"

Why did he keep asking that? Couldn't he see he was better than okay?

"Yes... Fuck yes, j-just hurry up. Please... It's driving m-me insane..." He begged him.

"That's not the point of this..." Levi's voice barely broke on a small scoff, but before Eren could retort, the older man was already thrusting into him at a pace that bordered brutal.

His back arched, eyes clenching shut as he choked on a gasp. The perfect arch in his back assured a direct hit to his prostate with each thrust. He began panting and moaning in a way that had ensured less air entering his body than it was leaving him. His head was dizzy. His body felt numb.

He really wasn't going to last any longer.

"N-No! I-I'm gonna come!" Eren tried pleading once more, his hand reaching down to grab his cock and cut off the circulation. Before he could reach it, however, Levi grabbed his arm and pulled it to the side, keeping a firm grip on it. He did the same with the other, trapping the brunette in a lock that assured a strong thrust regardless of leverage.

"Come, Eren..." The older man rasped.

Eren cried out, tears slipping down his cheeks. A few more hits to that spot within him and he was coming…

And waking up.

He gasped heavily, chest aching with a sudden pressure he hadn't felt before. He was sweating despite the cooler temperature of the room, his back, neck, and chest practically soaked in perspiration. The area between his legs was hot and wet, his bodily fluids dripping down his inner thighs as he caught his breath.

His lungs hurt. They hurt like he had been underwater and had held his breath for hours. His thoughts were clouded, mind muddled with nothing but the dream.

Yes, it was only a dream. What he had imagined never happened. The sex, yes, but not the scenario. His last chance to touch Levi have been the day he'd been taken away, so he knew it couldn't have happened again. That was the only thing that told him it was a dream. Had it not been for that fact, he might have thought it had happened.

Within the dark he could barely make out certain objects, such as the lamp or desk. Everything around him was blurry and cold except for the moon outside the frostbitten window. It wasn't until there was a small shift beside him that prompted the brunette to look next to him that his eyes managed to adjust to the lightening and find out what it was.

There was Armin sleeping right beside him. Eyes closed softly, blonde hair splayed in all sorts of directions, and mind so far away from reality right now.

He had no idea. He had no clue about the thoughts that had just transpired within the brunette's mind or the hardness now present between his legs. He had no idea of the heat pooling into his stomach, and now he couldn't help but be overwhelmed by guilt. Guilt that he could have such a dream about a person that wasn't Armin. Guilt that he could have such a dream while the teen was right there cuddled into his side, a hand laying on his chest and the other curled into a fist by his lips.

How could he think such things?  
-

The water was too cold for his liking, but refreshing in a certain way that awoke his senses. A few more splashes to the face and he felt the heat in his cheeks subsiding, the tender burn settling in his chest.

He sighed to himself, eyes looking at his ghostly figure in the mirror. His eyes were dull and his skin was pale despite the small tint of pink still present. Despite the strict eating schedules they followed, he felt that he still looked so thin. In fact, he looked a little thinner in his eyes.

What was going on with him? Out of every dream he had before, out of all the nightmares, the first good one to come about left him feeling positively guilty.

He liked Levi. He liked Levi _a lot_. He liked him more than he was willing to admit out loud, but like that?

Yes, they had sex a few months prior. That wasn't for anything other than helping him though. There was no love or connection made out of it besides helping him, but why, after all this time, did he feel like there was something more?

Levi didn't feel this way for him. Of course he didn't. Eren was just a brat to him, a kid with nothing to offer him but his body, and it hurt him in ways he couldn't begin to describe. His heart felt heavy, his throat constricted, his lungs felt like someone had punched him in the gut, and it _hurt_.

What was this about? Did this stem off of something far more than what he even knew? Did he care for Levi the way he cared for Armin?

No, that couldn't have been it. He and Armin had been together longer than he could remember. They had been through everything, and Eren loved him. There wasn't a doubt in his mind about that.

So why was there a doubt about this?

"Eren...?" There was a soft knocking against the door, followed by a timid voice calling out to him. "Are you okay...?"

Armin.

Eren stepped away from the sink, dried off his hands and face, and opened up the door cautiously. Behind it stood a very exhausted looking Armin, his shirt angled off to the side to expose his collar bone (Eren knew his sweaters were too big for him), and hair a massive mess of tangles. Even the patch of hair slowly growing in stuck straight up and out.

"Hi..." Eren greeted gingerly.

"Are you okay, Eren?" Armin asked and winced when the door opened more, the lights shining in his eyes.

"Yeah, I'm okay..."

"You don't sound okay..." The blonde commented. "Did you have that nightmare again?"

"No... It's something different..."

"Different...?" Armin stepped forward and Eren stepped back, allowing him more room to step into the small bathroom. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No... Not really, no..." Eren sat down on the rim of the bathtub, his head hanging low and hands trembling.

"Alright..." Armin said softly and sat beside him. "Do you want me to stay here until you feel better?"

Eren paused, his green eyes drifting to look into sky blue ones.

"Yeah..." He agreed and dropped his head to sit on top of his. He heard a giggle from the teen, lighthearted and relaxed, his hand meeting with a smaller one and tangled within nimble fingers.

It fell quiet between them. At times like these, when Eren had suffered another one of his nightmares, it usually was. They had nothing to say, nothing to do but sit quietly. Sometimes they talked about different and random things. Sometimes they didn't.

Talking helped him every now and again, but Armin could feel the air around Eren. He could feel the terrible tension plaguing him, and at times like these, he knew it was best to give him time.

Space wasn't needed. Eren always needed someone nearby. _Time_ , however, and _patience_ , were important factors into getting over the nightmare.

"Armin..."

"Hm...?"

"Armin..."

"What...?" Armin tried lifting his head, but with the position they were in now, it was difficult.

"Nothing... I just felt like saying your name..."

Armin sighed, lifting a hand to rub at his still clammy arm.

"Are you sure it wasn't the same dream?" He asked cautiously.

"I'm sure..." The brunette admitted weakly. "It had nothing to do with you..."

"Was it something that scared you?"

"Not so much scared me... Just made me worried..." He answered.

Armin always did this sort of thing. Come to think of it, Mikasa did too. They'd pry with smaller questions, eventually gaining enough information to paint out the problem or situation themselves. He couldn't say he hated it. While he didn't appreciate it, he didn't hate it.

He knew they were just trying to help.

"Worried how?"

"Worried... About the future... About me... About _us_..."

"... Alright."

It seemed as if Armin was too tired to pry too far into his dream tonight. That, or he didn't want to hear what else was at the end of that sentence. With a quick glance over to him, Eren could see his eyes drooping, sleep tugging at all of his senses. He wouldn't stay awake much longer.

"Let's go back to bed, Armin. You look exhausted..." Eren told him and shook his shoulder.

"I'm okay..." Armin mumbled.

"Oh really...?" Eren asked and slowly stood. Armin whined at the loss of his personal pillow and heater before the brunette helped him to his feet and led him out of the bathroom. He was prepared to take them back to their room where Mikasa probably slept on, blissfully unaware of what was happening. However, Armin seemed to have other plans.

Just as Eren stopped at the bedroom door, the teen tugged on his arm. Armin kept walking on, pulling him away from the door and to the living room where he directed him to the couch.

"Armin, what are you doing?" He couldn't help but ask.

"I know you. You won't fall back asleep so soon, and you'll start thinking too hard on unimportant things..." Armin told him and sat down on the couch, pulling him down with him.

"Am I that predictable?" The teen asked and chuckled.

"It's obvious, because I would do the same thing..."

Armin curled up onto the couch beside him and used the remote nearby to turn the TV on. Some television would help numb their minds of plaguing thoughts and drown out the noise in his friend's head. It'd help him sleep, but for now, he needed the distraction.

"I'd hate to think you aren't waking me up when you have a nightmare..." Eren said and wrapped his arms around him.

"Even if I did, I write it in my journal and go back to bed. I find writing it down really clears my thoughts. It helps shed some emotions I don't like..." The blonde explained as he flipped through channels, volume low to avoid waking up Hanji or Mikasa.

"Still though. You don't even have to tell me what it was about. I'd rather you just sit with me like this and relax..."

"I know..." To prove his point, Armin curled up closer into Eren's chest, his hands fisting his shirt tightly and holding on like his life depended on it.

Eren hated thinking that Armin did this by himself. He hated thinking that Armin would wake up from nightmares that plagued his innocent mind and sat on the couch all by himself, in the dark with nothing but a TV to occupy his mind. He hated thinking Armin tried to handle this on his own, but if writing in his journal helped him, then that was good. At least the little notebooks were working out for him.

"Huh..." Eren uttered.

"What...?"

"Nothing... Sometimes I forget about the notebooks..." He admitted weakly.

"While it's not my place to give advice, you should try it sometime... You might find it relaxing..." The smaller teen suggested and yawned.

The older teen really didn't use his as much as he should have used it. If something really bothered him, such as a particularly gruesome nightmare, he'd right it down. Most of his dreams were in those books. However, personal matters, feelings, or opinions he almost always kept to himself. He knew he shouldn't have done it, but things like this, things like _Levi_ , he couldn't risk Armin finding out.

What if he were to though? Armin didn't read things like journals when they didn't belong to him. He knew the notebook belonged to him, and it contained personal elements not to be shared unless Eren felt like sharing. If he wanted to, he'd tell him in his own time, and Armin knew it.

Did Hanji though? Eren knew Hanji would read his notebook. That was a sort of agreement between the three of them and her. Only personal things were told to her not to be read, because some things they weren't ready to speak about yet, and that was fine.

Why would Hanji ever tell anyone though? She was a woman of truth. If she knew Eren didn't want to speak of it or didn't want others knowing, she wasn't the type of person to gossip about it at the kitchen table during breakfast. His secrets were safe with her (for the most part), and if anyone could help him get through these troubling thoughts, it'd be her.

"Armin," Eren began and sat up. "You know what... I need to write down my dream in my journal..."

"Okay," The blonde agreed with a small nod. "Do you know where it is?"

"In the kitchen by the coffee maker..." Eren answered, more to himself than Armin as he left the room.

He felt those eyes on him until he was in the kitchen, where he knew he was safe and hidden from any judgement. His notebook was right where he said it was, and after one quick look over his shoulder, he grabbed it, opened it, and took up one of the pens nearby.

His first words were a summary for the whole dream. For all of the problems he was facing.

_"I have feelings for Captain Levi..."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... Well I never said how the smut would go. I just said there would be smut.


	35. Codependency

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a BL manga! No, it's a update! *Shot*
> 
> No, but in all seriousness, thanks for being so patient with me and this story. I know it's hit a bit of a dead spot, but a lot of this has to be covered before we get back into the swing of things. There's two/three more chapters I believe before we hit the court scenes again, but I promise this isn't the end of it. You are all some really awesome people, and I really applaud you all, those who review to those who sit quietly and read without reviewing (I know, because I'm one of those people), for reading this crappy fanfic. You're such incredible people, and if anyone tells you otherwise, you tell them there's somebody out there who stuck Mikasa, Eren and Armin together to make incest babies. Okay? Okay. :3
> 
> -Misty
> 
> P.S. Lady Mari chan had waaaaaaaaaay too much fun proofing this chapter. :3

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 35: Codependency**

* * *

He'd gotten so used to the havoc that this quiet was unsettling.

Eren had only been around for a week and a half. A week and a half was not a lot of time, but time didn't add up to how that time was spent, and it was spent properly.

They'd spent time together, cooked, cleaned, and slept together. It was like he took care of his own kid in a way, except that kid was eighteen and had numerous problems that had to be dealt with. That meant that he constantly had his eyes on him, held him, and helped him through those difficult moments.

Two months, however, without the kid around had left a large gap in his life. The quietness made him uneasy, the sound of snow outside was easy to hear without the chatter of another person. It was always clean now. There wasn't any extra laundry to be done, and laundry was done on Sunday's, just as how it had always been.

He cooked for himself and only himself, and there were left overs again. Before, there weren't any. Eren always ate them, because he needed it. Now, anything extra would be used for lunch the next day while he worked, and that was it.

He didn't think he'd have problems with Eren gone. He didn't think not having someone to talk to would make him feel this lonely, but had it always been like that? Was he this lonely before Eren even got there?

At first it was. After leaving Hanji and being on his own, it wasn't easy. He had always been with someone, whether it was Farlan and Isabel, his roommate in the hospital, or Hanji. It wasn't easy getting used to the quiet, but he figured out how. He could sleep without interruptions, walk around his house in only his underwear if he felt it necessary (which he didn't, but that wasn't the point), eat whatever he wanted and make a mess to clean it up later without someone nagging at him. It was easier being alone.

As he thought about it now though, he realized he was kidding himself.

No, it wasn't easier being alone. He'd just gotten used to it. Loneliness wasn't easy, but he found ways to distract himself in order to ignore it and handle himself without losing his mind.

He'd been reminded of how nice it was not to be alone when Eren lived with him. It was nice being with someone else, to cook and clean for them despite his arguments. To help put them to bed or simply to talk to them.

Sometimes he forgot what his own voice sounded like now.

It was nice being _needed_.

* * *

Snow. That was all it had been for a week. The streets were covered, and the older man applauded any soul that dared challenged the drive to him.

Such as Hanji.

The woman had called him earlier, saying she needed to speak with him. She said it couldn't be done over the phone, however, with the kids at home. They couldn't be nearby to eavesdrop. So whatever it was that needed to be talked about was something very important.

What was this about? Was Mikasa hurting herself again? We're Eren's nightmares getting worse? Was Armin sick again?

The blonde had been getting very sick with the winter, constantly in a bed, medicine going through his body and sleep clinging to his every waking moment.

Maybe it was getting worse. Maybe it was progressing into something far worse than simple colds or allergies.

No, that couldn't have been it. Hanji wouldn't have hesitated to talk about it over the phone. She would have just told him what was going on.

What was it Hanji needed to talk about that couldn't involve them hearing about it then?

His thoughts were cut short when the doorbell suddenly rang through the apartment. The older man got off the couch and went to his front door to answer it, finding a bundled up Hanji standing behind it.

"Cold outside?" Levi asked before stepping back to allow her in.

"Extremely so! I wouldn't be surprised if this was the beginning of Armageddon with all of that snow out there..." She expressed while undoing her jacket.

"How poetic..." The older man uttered. "So what's so important that you couldn't tell me over the phone and fought a two foot snow drift to tell me in person?"

The way Hanji's expression deepened into a look of concern etched with hesitancy was a little unsettling to say the least. No, that was a lie. It was very unsettling.

"Let's go sit." She said before hanging her coat. Levi tilted his head, his lips pulling into a tight frown before he walked ahead.

He sat on the couch, and soon enough Hanji sat in the recliner nearby. He watched her carefully, waiting, but the woman futzed with the bag around her shoulder, seemingly stalling.

"Hanji," He spoke her name. "What's going on with the kids?"

"They're okay. No one is any danger, no one is sick or dying. Everyone is okay."

"So then why can't you talk around them?" He questioned with a frown.

"Because it has to do with Eren..." Hanji reached into her hand before pulling out a golden colored notebook.

"Is he okay? He's not hurt, right?"

"No, but I'm worried for his mental health right now."

" _Mental health?_ " For whatever reason, Levi didn't appreciate the way she said that. "What's wrong with his mental health?"

Hanji set the notebook on its binding down in her lap, emphasizing the importance to it and what it signified.

"Truthfully, Eren doesn't know I have this with me. He still thinks it's at home where he left it. What I'm doing is going against his trust in me. It's going against patient confidentiality even. I could lose my job for this, so what you're about to read stays between us." Hanji warned him before handing over the notebook to the officer.

Levi stared at her wearily for a moment longer before taking it gingerly.

"If you could lose your job over this, then why are you showing it to me?"

"Because of what's inside it."

"What's in it?" He asked. "His nightmares, right?"

"Well, it was a dream. I really think you need to read his latest entry though. It's important."

"Hanji-"

"Just read it, and you'll see what I mean." The woman assured him.

Levi stared at her, eyes narrowing in irritation before he flipped open the notebook. He pulled the pages back to the last one before bringing it to where he saw the most recent date written on the pages, followed by the words written down in barely legible handwriting.

_"I have feelings for Captain Levi..."_

Levi's eyes lifted from the book in a flicker of surprise, staring at the woman in front of him with concern. She nodded her head, a sure sign that it was okay to keep reading, but did he really want to?

He figured there was no turning back now, and with that in mind, Levi looked down to continue reading.

_"I can't deny it anymore. Damn it, I just can't. I've tried, but the more I deny it, the worse it gets, and the more I deny it, the more I lose my mind._

_I really like him. More than I'm supposed to. I look back on when we first met, how much I despised him. Why can't I just feel like that anymore? I hate feeling this way about him. I'm supposed to love Armin, aren't I? So why is it I like him too? That's not how that works, right?_

_I've tried looking for reasons to hate him. I've tried and I've failed. All that he and the station has done has ever been for us. I see that, and it makes it harder to hate him. Taking me in, feeding me, letting me sleep by his side on nights I couldn't be alone... Letting me talk to him, teaching me what a real life looks like. It was only the basis of it, but it was enough to open my eyes and get my family back._

_It's wrong. I know it is, and now I'm having dreams about him. Last night I dreamt of him embracing me, of making love to me. The way he said my name was reminiscent of the night we were together. The way his eyes looked at me, his breath on my skin. The way he held me. It makes me think back to that time and my body aches for him again._

_This isn't why you like a person, but I can't get him out of my mind. I can't stop thinking about him, and I've tried. I've tried distracting myself, but whenever I get a quiet moment, or even when it's not so quiet, I think of him. I think of his eyes, his voice, his touch, whether holding me or reassuring me. I think about his lips when he talked or that night between us..._

_I miss the warm spot in the bed, even when Armin and Mikasa lay right next to me. I miss the sound of his voice when he soothed me in my moments of panic. I miss how he holds me with everything, his arms, hands, and heart. I miss the sound of his heart under my ear..._

_I miss him. I miss him so much."_

There was more written down, but Levi felt as if it were necessary to stop reading. He sat back, hands coming up to rest on his knees as he sighed. His heart felt heavy, mind suddenly plagued by the words written in front of him.

"What should I do?"

"I believe it's in your best interest to decide for yourself." Hanji told him.

"That doesn't solve this problem." Levi grumbled irritably while motioning to the pages in the notebook.

"No, it doesn't, but you aren't who I'm taking care of. It's Eren, and it's Eren I give advice to if he comes to me for it."

"And what if he doesn't? What if he doesn't ask for your help?"

"He might not, but he might just as much. With thoughts like these, I don't doubt Eren won't come to me soon to fix them. I don't doubt that Eren has feelings for you. I think he really does care for you the way he says, but I don't think that his feelings are built up on a healthy foundation."

"What do you mean?"

"Your relationship wasn't built up on months of trust and love. Your relationship was built up within a week out of codependency and suffering. He grew so attached to you that he feels like he can't go on without you, giving him a false sense of love. Like I said, I don't doubt he doesn't care for you. After all, you became a figure he can trust and go to when he needs someone. He trusts you, but the feelings he's developed for you aren't healthy."

"So what do I do? How do I fix this so I don't make him sick?"

"The separation is good. We don't know how long it'll be until we go to court, but until then, he needs to grow. Eren needs to start separating himself from his family and grow as a person."

"You want to take Mikasa and Armin away from him?"

"No, no. They don't have anything to do with that. He needs to grow on his own. He has his family, but he needs to start realizing that the only one who can make things happen is himself. This is where we need to stop treating him like a child and treat him like an adult."

"Shouldn't we help him though? He's still just a kid."

"Of course. I won't let him fall. I'm not saying he needs a job and home on his own, but his emotional state is failing, because he believes he can't do anything without you. He feels useless without someone else helping him through it, so this is where we need to push him into realizing all it takes is him."

"And what if that doesn't work?" Levi asked the woman morbidly. "What if doing that only makes it worse? What if this backfires on us?"

All he got in response was a shake of her head.

"We can only hope it doesn't."

"The fuck does that mean, Hanji?" Levi questioned abruptly and stood up, his hands gripping the binding of the notebook to the point it could snap. "What happens if it doesn't work?"

"We might have to look into other measures then."

"Other measures? Like what, sending him to Maria's?"

He had meant it as a rhetorical question. He hadn't really expected to see the woman nod her head in positive response.

"He might need it…"

"Hanji-!"

"He might need more help than either you or I can provide him, Levi." She spoke over him. "What he may need is a more watchful eye over him and someone at his side every waking moment. I'm doing the best that I can, but I am only one person."

"Fuck…" Levi cursed under his breath.

He had never meant for this to happen. He never meant for any of this to happen. Eren wasn't supposed to care for him like this, but it was his fault after all. He should have seen the signs, should have seen the way the brunette grew towards him. He should have never let Eren sleep with him, because that only deepened the connection. He knew that. Of course he knew that. He should have known better though, and he didn't.

"… I can't let that happen." Levi finally said after what felt like an awkward eternity of silence.

"What can you do that hasn't already been done, Levi?" The woman asked pensively. "You can't have contact with him, and you know anything more could hurt him."

"I can't let him get like this." Levi growled.

"You already have." Hanji continued, head tilting to the side, as if she had just realized something. Guessing by the mixed look of emotions on her face, she must have realized something important. "Levi, you don't have feelings for him, do you?" Hanji asked, her gaze narrowing at him in a mix of intimidation for answers and concern.

Levi stepped back, but only so far. With the couch behind him, he could only move an inch before the back of his leg bumped into it, leaving him with nowhere to run. His expression relaxed, but out of shock or realization, he couldn't be sure anymore. He'd never stopped to think about something as absurd as that, such a suggestion leaving him utterly flabbergasted, but was it true?

No, that couldn't be true. He didn't have feelings for Eren. Not even close. He was a child to him, someone who needed help, a shoulder to cry on, someone to go to when he was in pain. That was what he was, nothing more, nothing less.

… Right?

"I remember this man." Hanji stated as she stood up. Levi tried staring the woman down in disgust, but he felt himself weakening at the hardened glare of her brown eyes. Truthfully, when Hanji was mad, she was a frightening woman. " _This_ was the man that lived with me six years ago. That brash, irresponsible man who tried on many occasions to sneak out to the hospital."

"What the fuck is your point?" The older man hissed.

"I never thought I'd see him again. This man who can't get it together for five minutes to look in front of him and focus on what's important." She bit out.

"I don't have a problem with focus! I know what's important, and wha-"

"What's important is Eren!" Hanji shouted over him. "I have to worry for his wellbeing, his _safety_! I have to make sure he doesn't turn around and hurt himself again!"

In retaliation, the woman grabbed the notebook from his hands and shoved it back into her bag. She turned to leave, as if this were the last of the conversation, but stopped short of the door.

Levi waited, mind and emotions seething as his fingers pressed deep into his palms, nails scrapping away at the surface of his skin. As Hanji looked over her shoulder, a calmer demeanor present, it seemed to help sizzle some of the anger from his body. Only some though.

"… Honestly, I don't have a problem with it." She said, voice softer and more relaxed.

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"If you care for him more than what most of us are seeing… Then I don't have a problem with it." Hanji turned her body towards him, eyes still staring at him in an intimidating manner. "Whatever makes you happy, but my focus is Eren. Eren's health is of my priority, so I can't allow him to fall because of your incompetence."

"And what does that mean?" The older man asked while noting the worry in his tone.

Instead of a verbal answer, Hanji's eyes closed. Her body turned away once more, her head shaking, and from where she stood, Levi thought he could hear her utter words, but he wasn't sure if he heard her right.

" _I'm sorry…"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops. I did more things. More things to come.


	36. Interrogation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, no updates for a while... Cause I'm going to Katsucon next week! :D And I'm so excited~ And I just can't hide it~ But I will continue to update after this weekend. Just not this one. ^^ I hope everyone has an awesome week though!
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Alive (OST)
> 
> By: VIXX
> 
> P.S. Trigger warnings for mentions of minor character death.

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 36: Interrogation**

* * *

He hated desk work. He always had. This was why Levi was a field officer, because he couldn't handle sitting at a desk for eight straight hours and filing out useless papers for officers who did the job he wanted.

When he first came to the precinct that was all he ever did. Levi had made it very clear to Erwin, however, that he didn't do this type of shit for a reason. He was quickly trained for field work, and a little while later, he was out of the hard, wooden chair, and doing what was best for people around him.

Now he was back though. Back to doing this useless shit that made him want to tear whatever remaining hair he had out of his head. It was just too much of one thing and not another, and he hated it so much.

He was not an office person for a very good reason.

"Relax guys," Hanji's voice rang through the office as she entered. Levi was momentarily grateful for it, but all of two things quickly drowned out that happiness with a bout of guilt within his stomach.

One. It had been weeks since that argument between them, and two, she wasn't alone.

Walking behind them were his kids, all of which looked mortified. Eren was a naturally tan person, but had never looked so pale to the older man's eyes. Mikasa was beside him, donning her long sleeved shirt and scarf, arms bundled up to her chest and looking miserable. Armin was standing behind the two of them, arms wound around Eren's own as a source of comfort, but comfort for what, he wasn't sure. Levi could probably guess that Eren was playing tough to keep the blonde calm.

The officer tried his hardest to look away, tried painfully so to focus on his work, but he couldn't. Since their argument, Levi hadn't heard a word from any of them. It seemed that Eren wasn't the only one being isolated to grow, because the woman seemed to be closing _him_ off as well. She was making sure neither of them had contact with one another, which was hard enough. However, because of this, Levi didn't get to hear about Armin or Mikasa. He didn't get to hear if his niece was doing alright, if Armin was feeling better, or how they were just in general.

If he thought he was lonely before, he was sadly mistaken.

Levi was so absorbed in looking over to them, he failed to miss the pair of green eyes falling onto him until it was too late. He saw Eren at the last moment, watching as his expression went from morbid dread to delight. He was happy to see him, his lips pulling in a relived smile and eyes lighting up with a vividness Levi hadn't seen in a long time.

Oh, why did it have to be like this?

"Come on, Eren..." Levi could scarcely hear Hanji's voice as she and the other two walked ahead. Eren looked back at her briefly before looking to him for answers. He wanted so much to run up and embrace the man, to hold him and never leave him again. He couldn't though. Armin was tugging at his arm, wondering out loud about his sudden stop, and Levi was waving his hand at him, telling him to go.

He didn't want to break his heart like this, but they couldn't be seen together. Hell, the fact he acknowledged his existence could have gotten him fired. He was walking a very thin line after all. Any more and he may never see Eren or Mikasa again, and he couldn't risk it.

He hated seeing the crestfallen look on Eren's face. He hated seeing that smile drop instantly, as if his heart dropped into his stomach and dissolved. He didn't want to do this, but he had no choice.

Levi tucked his head down, as if focusing on his work, but his bangs were long enough for him to look through and watch the brunette. The teen lingered for a moment longer before he walked into the interrogation room, or rather the room in front of it. The door shut behind them, and with it, he could breathe a sigh of relief.

For all of five minutes.

Levi tried hard to get back to his work, but his mind plagued him with thoughts of the kids. What were they doing here? Why were they going back to the interrogation room? What did Erwin need more from them?

Little did he know that his thoughts would soon be answered.

"Captain Levi," Erwin's voice rang through the office when he entered it. The officer lifted his head and looked to the man, noticing him motioning towards him with a hand. Levi stood and followed, brought back to the room the kids disappeared behind and led inside.

"What's up, Erwin?" He asked him as the man shut the door behind him. Upon closer inspection, the two of them weren't alone.

Off to the far corner, sitting at the table were Mikasa and Armin. Eren stood beside the table, fingers in a dead lock with themselves with anxiety evident on his face. Hanji was standing behind him, a hand on his shoulder and soothing words too quiet for him to hear leaving her lips. They looked like they were waiting, waiting for something or someone, but for what or who he wasn't sure. It wasn't until Eren spotted him entering the room that he felt like he'd gotten a small fraction of the answer.

Without a word, Eren suddenly darted from his family's side. He was by Levi in an instant, arms wrapping around his shoulders and face hiding within the junction of his neck. His whole body was shaking, but from what, the man wasn't sure. All he could do was numbly return the hug, weary of the eyes on him in a berating manner.

"Eren-" Hanji began, but stopped short when Mikasa was the next to jump away from them. Armin naturally followed, but he didn't feel the need to hug the man as much as his siblings did. He wasn't as attached to Levi as they were, so he stood back, simply waiting for them to remember he was there too.

"What's going on?" Levi asked of the blonde while cradling Eren's head.

"I believe I need your help with something." Erwin told him. If he had any objections to the close proximity of Eren and Levi, he wasn't saying anything.

"With what...?" Levi wanted to bark at the man for not giving him straight answers, but couldn't. Not with the kids around. Not when he was already in trouble.

In lieu of an answer, Erwin stepped away from his side and to the two-way mirror. He knocked on the glass a few times and waited until the door on the other side of the room opened.

Levi suddenly felt Eren's arms tighten painfully around him, and he could guess why when he saw two men walk into the room, inconspicuous to the glass hiding their faces. One was Marlowe, and behind him, shackled so tightly it could cut off the blood circulation, was a man with brunette hair past his shoulders, green eyes, tan skin, and a frown so deep it best his own by a long shot.

He didn't have a hard time guessing who this was. Judging by the looks and Eren's horrified reaction, it was easy to see that this was Eren's father now sitting at the table in the room, calmly staring at the mirror.

He hadn't had the chance to see him since he was brought into custody. After being taken off of the case, he wasn't allowed to involve himself with any of it. He couldn't see or hear about it, which meant this was the first time he'd seen the man that had ever dared to touch his kids.

He soon found out that he was the type of person to instantly judge by looks. That blank and apathetic stare was really starting to piss him off.

"Jaeger has been particularly _difficult_ to interrogate," Erwin commented quietly.

"How so?" Levi asked and let go of Eren, only for Mikasa to wiggle her way into his arms.

"He doesn't seem to respond to anyone..." The commander looked over at him with a serious gaze. "However, you're rather gifted with talking. I figured it'd be best if you're in the room with me while we speak."

"I'm not on the case though," Levi uttered while rubbing his niece's back.

"Yes, but he doesn't know that." Erwin told him while looking to the man. "You won't really be the one interrogating unless you feel there's an opening I miss, an opening that'll get us answers. You get people to answer one way or another, and I need that talent of yours."

"Levi..." Mikasa whispered while leaning back.

The older man looked up to his niece before patting her head, fingers running through her frayed hair, pulling at tangles. She looked like a mess of worry and fright, his gut twisting in guilt. He hated seeing her like this.

"If this is your way of getting me to agree, then that's fine. I would have done it regardless." Levi told him. There was the barest hint of a smile on his niece's lips, a sigh of relief fluttering through her body like the shudder he couldn't miss. Had they really been counting on him this much?

"Thank you, Levi..." Erwin said thoughtfully. Levi nodded before leading Mikasa and the other teens back to the table.

All the while, Armin's blue eyes had been staring into the room, his body pressed up against Eren's like it would protect him from the man glaring at the mirror. All he was doing was staring. He didn't do anything, hardly even blinked.

He just stared at the mirror with an expression the teens seemed to know all too well.

"It's like he's looking at us..." Armin commented gravely, his hands tightening around Eren's own.

"He can't see you guys. You know you can't see through that glass." Hanji told them, but I didn't seem to help them any. It really did feel like he was staring right at them.

"But still..."

"It's alright," Levi told him and helped him sit. Eren remained standing, his face a very pale color, as if he would be sick at any moment. Now that the older man had thought about it, Eren hadn't looked up once since Grisha came into the room. "I won't let him hurt you. He's not going to come anywhere near you."

"That doesn't stop him from hurting us," The blonde mentioned, his eyes finally looking away. He couldn't bear to look at the man anymore. He couldn't handle that stare.

Levi opened his mouth, ready to reprimand the teen for his thoughts, but was cut short by the sound of the door opening.

"Levi," Erwin called to him.

Levi gave the teen's one last, promising glance before turning away and walking into the room. He was going to make this right for them. He wasn't going to let them suffer any longer, and with that resolve set firmly in his mind, the older man looked up with hard set eyes at the man sitting before them.

"Thank you for waiting for us," Erwin said and shut the door behind him. Green eyes shifted over to them before settling on Levi, no response coming from him otherwise. "Mr. Jaeger, this is Captain Levi. He'll been sitting in with us," He introduced in a less than enthusiastic manner.

Oh, he knew who he was. He had too, because he had to know who Eren had grown close to. His squad had just been a threat, a warning to the brunette, but that didn't meant Grisha didn't have plans for him. He probably did, but he had been cut short when taken in. When Eren went against him.

He _knew_ who he was.

Erwin stepped forward with a confident stride before sitting at the table in front of the man. Levi leaned back against the wall, staying close by the door. It didn't matter if Grisha was in chains or not. He wasn't letting him come close to his kids.

"So, Grisha… We have a lot to talk about, don't we?"

Erwin always played the good cop, but only in the beginning. Levi ever so rarely saw him get truly angry, to truly make a person fear him, but he'd be damned if he wouldn't see it today. Not after all this man had done to them. Not after what he had done to their squad.

No, Levi would be seeing that mean side of Erwin today.

They waited for a moment, but the man didn't answer. He sat quietly, and while the commander was the one directly talking to him, his eyes set were on Levi.

Was he waiting for him to speak? Was he waiting for the man to resort to something more? Or did he recognize him. He must have. They wouldn't know unless he said something though.

It fell quiet again. Levi felt his heart thumping against his ribs, heard it banging in his ears. The longer they waited for the man to talk, the more anxiety seemed to build up.

Was this what Armin had meant? It wasn't just what he did to them physically. Mentally he had screwed them over so badly it'd be hard to live a normal life. This mindless staring he was doing was degrading and he could feel it, but he wouldn't let him win. He _couldn't_ let him win. He wasn't going to beat him and hurt his kids again.

"You must be... Mikasa's uncle."

Levi's eyes sharpened, glaring at the man with distaste. How could he possibly know that already? It wasn't like he cared.

No, that was a lie. He cared a lot.

The man had been watching him. He had to have since he knew who his kids had grown close to. He knew each and every one of them, their strengths, their weaknesses, and their flaws. He knew it all.

He was still a dangerous man, even when chained and bound to where he sat.

"We're talking about you, Grisha. Not him." Erwin corrected him, but the man in chains didn't seem to hear him.

"You two look an awful lot alike. Not so much in looks, but your eyes." Grisha leaned forward in his chair, green eyes staring intently at Levi. By this point, Erwin knew it was best to keep quiet. Maybe this could lead somewhere. "The way you look at things, how you stare with the intent to kill is very much like her own stare. She looks like her mother, but she has your eyes."

"Wouldn't have it any other way." Levi replied coldly, his fingers digging into his arms. He didn't think it'd be this hard to remain calm in front of him. It was just something about him, something that was wrong, and that wasn't a good thing. "She's my kid after all."

If Grisha still thought he had power over his kids, he was very mistaken.

There was a glint of something behind the man's glasses. What it was, Levi couldn't pinpoint it. He just knew it was something that hadn't settled well with him. Maybe it was because Levi had spoken like he owned Mikasa. He hadn't meant to bring out that idea, but he forgot that this man had physically and mentally owned them for three years. To him, they weren't people. They were objects, his toys, and he didn't like people playing with his toys.

_'You better be careful, Officer Levi Ackerman. Our boss doesn't like it when his best are messed with.'_

Eren's words from weeks before were still ringing in his head.

"It's a shame..." The man sitting ahead of him said. Levi's interest was piqued, his head tilting to the side to prompt him for a better response.

"What is?" He asked.

"Mikasa's mother." Grisha leaned back in his chair, arms sitting neatly on the table and hands together in a nonthreatening gesture. "She was such a young, beautiful woman. Her and her husband were so kind and thoughtful."

Levi's fingers dug deeper, his teeth beginning to clench. He could hear them scrape together, but he had to do something. If he didn't he'd say things he'd regret later on, do things he wouldn't be able to take back.

They were still watching. He couldn't do something that would upset the kids.

"Mikasa's grown to look just like her. Very young and beautiful as well."

"Stay on topic." Levi didn't mean to let his annoyance slip. He was losing this battle quickly, and Erwin could see it.

"Step out of the room, Captain." He told him. No, he _ordered_ him.

"A woman like that should have never met such a terrible death." Grisha pressed on.

"An accident." Levi told him.

This was the first time a hint of emotion showed in Grisha's face. If a smirk was anything to go by, or the glint of amusement in his eyes was something to look at, then it was emotion.

"Maybe next time she'll learn to keep her mouth shut."

Levi felt chills go down his spine.

The accident that took his sisters life eleven years ago...

It wasn't an accident, was it?

The officer lunged forward, but Erwin had anticipated this. He grabbed him quickly enough, arms wrapping around his torso and enduring the sheer strength that Levi possessed. Even held back, that man still managed to push forward, but his commander wouldn't let him get any closer.

"That was my sister, you bastard!" Levi yelled at him, but the smirk that had been there had faded, and his face returned to that of apathy. It was like the man wasn't trying to kill him at this moment, but how could someone remain so calm right now?

"Step back, Levi!" Erwin ordered him and pushed him back. He knew leaving the man in this room in any manner would result in an "accident," so he had no choice but to be physical and force him out of the room.

He had to end this interrogation here. If he didn't, there was no telling what Levi would do to the man. For now, Grisha had won, but they'd be back to fight.

"Let me go, Erwin! Damn it! Fucking let me go!" Levi kicked within his arms until Erwin had shut the door behind them, and then and only then did he let him go. Levi pushed himself away and turned around, ready to face him and tell him what was truly on his mind, but Erwin had beaten him to it.

"Are you out of your mind, Levi?" Erwin barked, no longer reserved now that Grisha couldn't hear them. "You just let him win!"

"That fucker did something to my sister! He-!"

Levi stopped at the sudden sound of distress. It wasn't so much the sound, but who it came from that had him stopping, because he knew that voice. He knew that tone, and he was instantly reminded of what he had done.

Levi looked off to the side, finding the teens still by the window. No longer standing, Mikasa was sitting on the ground, her head between her legs and arms wrapped around herself in protection. The sound of distress came from her, which, now that Levi could place it, was her crying.

He didn't mean for this to happen. He hadn't meant to do that. He didn't mean to open up old wounds that never had much time to heal in the first place, and now his niece was on the ground, in pain, and suffering from something far worse than he had predicted.

Armin and Eren sat beside her, their hands on her shoulders and head, trying to help her feel better. There wasn't much they could do though, and they knew it. They only wished they could do something more.

"Mikasa..." He breathed, all of the anger suddenly leaving his body in an upheaval of guilt.

He was quick to be by her side, to kneel down and pull her into his arms. Mikasa relaxed under his touch enough to wrap her arms around him and cry into his shoulder, the guilt overwhelming him further.

He hadn't meant to do this at all. He should have kept his cool. He should have stayed calm. He knew they were watching, and yet he lost himself and fucked up.

He messed up. He messed up big time, and now she was paying the price for it.

To think that the man who took her in, who was a saint to her and adopted her when she had no other family, was the one who had planned and arranged the death of her own parents. This was long before he had kidnapped them and ruined their lives, however.

This went further back than they realized.


	37. Number

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So after seeing EXO live, I had half a mind to call this chapter "Call Me Baby." Half a mind of course. XD As for this one, I have to apologize for this. I know it's short, but it was originally a longer one. It didn't flow right though, so I had to shorten it and cut it in half. HOWEVER! After the next chapter, we will finally be out of the damn filler arc and into the Court Arc! Because apparently this story now has arcs! Is this over yet? X'D
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Knock
> 
> By (A very talented new group ;)): KNK

**Lost Cause**

* * *

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 37: Number**

* * *

"Happy birthday, Mikasa..."

_"Thank you, Levi."_

Her voice sounded hoarse, cracking at the ends like she was about to cry. He wasn't sure what he preferred more from her: Apathy or crying. Crying meant that at least she felt something, but he hated knowing that she cried.

"Erwin's actually watching me right now to make sure I behave myself." Levi said sarcastically, but it was true. Erwin sat at his desk, blue eyes staring up at him, as if daring to make a move. However, he wouldn't. Erwin knew that. He was just saying it to make her laugh, and did it to some extent.

_"I can imagine..."_

"I just wanted to check up on you. I wanted to make sure you were okay after... What happened..."

He still felt the guilt settle in his stomach and the bile of his words on his tongue. He still felt terrible that he could ever put his niece into such pain. Even more, he felt anger for letting that man win.

He won that battle, but the end result wouldn't be in his favor again.

_"It's okay..."_

No, it wasn't okay. He could tell by the tone of her voice that it wasn't okay, that it hadn't been okay since then.

"No, it's not okay, Mikasa... I'm sorry."

 _"I forgive you..."_ For once she managed to sound sincere. _"He's done something to both of us... I'm not expecting you to be apathetic towards him."_

"Not apathetic. I just can't let him win."

Erwin suddenly cleared his throat behind him, prompting him to turn his head in response.

Right. He couldn't talk about that with her. He had almost forgotten.

 _"I expect that at the least..."_ There was the tiniest hitch in her voice, a laugh if anything else. It warmed his heart to know that she could still do that.

"Right... Well I'm going to go. I have a bunch of shit I have to get done here." Levi excused himself.

 _"Okay then."_ His niece replied. _"Thank you for calling me."_

"Of course."

There was the sound of a click on the other side. The older man waited for a moment longer before hearing the dial tone, his heart strangely falling within his chest. Maybe it was the idea that it's probably be a long time before he'd get to talk to her again let alone see her. Maybe it was knowing that she was still in pain, and that there was nothing he could do for her. He wasn't so sure anymore.

He sighed to himself before hanging up and pocketing his cheap phone. He had yet to get a nice one.

Looking over at his commanding officer, Levi nodded his head towards him. They were still on thin ice with each other, but that didn't mean he would show disrespect towards him.

No, never. He couldn't do that to him.

"Thank you for letting me do that, Erwin." Levi said to him.

"You're welcome," Erwin said. "Hanji was saying she's been down lately. I figured a small call from her uncle would help cheer her up."

"At the expense that, after what happened, she might not want to talk to me." Levi retorted and sat down in the chair in front of Erwin's desk.

"I don't think she'd do that to you, Levi." Erwin told him. "You're her family and she loves you. If anything, it probably helped her a lot to hear from you."

Levi closed his eyes for a moment, breathing steadying to think carefully. His hands ached like he wanted to ball them up and hit something, but lacked the strength to do it. He felt weak for a moment, body and mind wavering when he thought about her wellbeing. Had it really helped her? He could only hope it did.

" _Nineteen_... She's growing up on me, Erwin." Levi spoke fondly, grey eyes looking down into his lap. "When did she get so big?"

"Somewhere between birth and last Tuesday." The blonde remarked with a barely visible smile.

At least he still had a sense of humor.

"Hardy harr..." Levi responded, mildly amused. "I'm being serious here."

"So was I."

"Both her and I are going to be old by the time we finally go to court for this shit." He remarked disparagingly before sifting through some of the papers Erwin had handed him. All of it was regarding the kid's case, but that wasn't his interest.

His interest was anything they could have missed.

Were there pieces to the case they had missed? Was there something that explained previous events, such as his sister's death? It was all the same thing. All of the notes were as they were years ago and nothing was different, so why?

Nothing in the reports was different. Mikasa's mother was killed in the midst of an attempted kidnapping. They wanted to use her for human trafficking, but she fought back to save her daughter. Mikasa was then kidnapped, but after Eren saved her, the Jaegers took her in.

Was there some connection between the attempted kidnapping and Grisha taking her in? Had he somehow planned for that to happen? To have them go after her? Was her death even an accident? They already had an answer to that, but he needed the evidence to follow up on it.

There had to be some connection. There just had to be.

Erwin said Levi couldn't work on the case, but he hadn't said anything about reopening the case of his sister, and he planned to take full advantage of that.

"Levi," Erwin spoke up, interrupting the officer's thought process.

"Huh...?" Had the older man been paying attention, he would have realized that the morbid thoughts plaguing his mind had shown in his features. It showed in the way his hands clenched around the paperwork and how his nails dug holes into the files. It showed in his frown and the hunch in his back. He only noticed it now, however, when Erwin brought back his sense of reality. "Oh... Sorry..."

"You need a break." Erwin said, but with the grave tone of his voice, it sounded more like an order.

"I'm okay..." Levi assured.

"No you aren't," The blonde immediately shut down. "Ever since you talked with Grisha, you haven't been very controlling of yourself. It's showing in the way you've been working recently."

"Have I been that obvious?" Levi asked as he leaned back in his chair. "And here I thought I was a perfect little angel..."

"Levi..." Erwin's voice dropped again, this time a sense of dread following close to each word. "The hearing has been set for April fifth..."

At the news they had all been waiting for, at the admission of the time, Levi's eyes widened just the slightest. He lifted his head and stared at the man, silently questioning his words.

Was he serious? He wasn't joking, right? It wasn't funny if he was.

"Already...?" Was all he managed to say. He didn't know what else to think.

"Yes. In two months, we'll be able to get this started. It'll only be to set a bail, to determine what will happen to him before court, but it's a start, and until then..." His commander sat back in his chair, eyes weary of his reaction. "I think you need to take a leave of absence."

"What...?" Suffice it to say, he was no less then shocked.

"I think it'll be good for you to get your head cleared. It doesn't need to be for the full two months, but you need a vacation of some sort."

"Erwin, I'm fine." Levi said. "More than fine. I'll be even better when this fucker is in jail too."

"Levi, I appreciate your work ethic. I wish I had twenty more officers like you," Erwin leaned forward in his chair and set a hand down in front of the man, covering the paperwork he'd been previously crushing. "But you're only human."

"Erwin-"

"That's an order, Levi." He quickly interrupted. "Unless you think therapy would be a better option."

"I'm not talking to Hanji." He instantly shut down. They hadn't been on very good terms either, so she wasn't an option.

"Well is there something you need to get off your chest right now?" The blonde asked. "Something you think needs to be out in the air?"

"It's just..." Erwin wasn't a therapist, and he was by no means the right person to talk to about this. However, he was better than nothing, and that in itself was something to work with. "Some things Eren told me..."

"You talked to Eren...?" Erwin asked with a rush of anger.

"No, not recently. This was still while he was staying with me." Levi quickly assured him when he realized where Erwin had taken that idea. "It's just... He said something about amending things with family... I've been worrying over Mikasa and her health, so... Things have been resurfacing that I shouldn't really be worrying over."

"Such as...?" Erwin asked while reaching for his drink. "That is, if you want to talk about it."

"I'm not bringing it up with Hanji, so..."

Was it really a good idea? After all, they still were on shaky terms. Unspoken promises and orders were a must right now. While they had always been rather good at talking things through, in the world of privacy, it wasn't as easy. They didn't sit by the water cooler and talk about family and friends. They didn't have lunches and discuss a show they had seen on TV last night. It was all work for them, and Levi hadn't ever had the idea of talking of anything different.

While this wasn't in the sense of privacy, this was definitely a sensitive subject. It was sensitive since the first day they met, and bringing it up now after six years would only make things worse.

What more could he possibly lose?

"I was wondering... If there's anyway you can get me Farlan's number..."

Erwin's expression instantly melded into one of understanding, but also one of disgruntled realization.

"Levi-"

"I promise this isn't like before." Levi immediately spoke up. "I'm not looking for anything like that. It's not about trying to be in their lives, I just... I just want to know if they're okay..."

Erwin sat back in his chair, as if a silent way of telling him to continue. It was his silent way of saying he would _at least_ hear him out, and that was already more than he could ask for.

"I want to know if they have food, if they have a roof over their head. I want to know how Isabel is fairing after leaving the hospital or how Farlan is, if he's working or... I just... I just want to know that they're okay..." Levi looked up carefully, his eyes only staying on him long enough to see the almost murdering glow in those blue eyes. He wasn't sure when he had started cowering from Erwin's stare, but he was now. He looked back down into his lap, breath shuddering.

It was just a suggestion. The worst he could do was say no, right?

"This isn't like before. I'm not looking to be back in their lives. I just have to know that they aren't suffering. That's all I'm looking for..."

He was expecting a flat out no. No arguments, no reasons. Just a no. He didn't think there'd be any agreement to it. After all, years ago he tried his damned hardest to be with his family again. Erwin fought tooth and nail with him, to keep him, and after a very long time (At the upmost of years), the older man was sober enough to know that it just wasn't happening. He hadn't bothered bringing it up since, but after talking with Eren months ago, he could only wonder.

So when Erwin sighed with his arms crossing over his chest, he braced himself for the worst.

"I believe his number changed when he moved three years ago. I'll look up the files and see what I can find."

Levi's head lifted, not realizing he'd kept it low until the shock brought about the reaction. His grey eyes widened, lips parted, but he couldn't seem to find the right words to express what he was feeling. What was he feeling anyway? He was surprised; that much he was positive of. Happy? He wasn't sure just yet. He wasn't sure if this was one of the blonde's sick jokes or him being serious.

"... Huh?" He wasn't a man of words today.

"He and Isabel moved upstate a few years back for work. I know his number changed, but I'm going to have to pull the files to find out what it is."

"How did you know that?" He asked while trying to keep his voice stable.

"Well I have to keep tabs on them. What happened fell under my care, so I need to make sure I know where they are and how they're doing." Erwin stood up from his chair, muscles stretching and back joints popping after having to sit for such a long time. He let out a heavy sigh as he walked over to one of the filing cabinets and began looking through some paperwork. Nothing that pertained to Levi, but just about the case in general. "Last I heard anything new from them was three years ago when they moved, so I'll give you the number once I get it. Until then, I want you to go home and rest. Maybe take a little vacation somewhere warmer."

Levi couldn't have been more than baffled by the man's words. Not because he had agreed (which still had his head reeling), but the fact he could switch a topic so fast that it was like they weren't talking about anything other than what they had for breakfast this morning. It must have been his reminder that yes, Levi had to take a leave of absence. For how long he wasn't sure, but the older man was going to get away with ignoring the idea.

It was an order, and he had to follow it to a point if he wanted to stay an officer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You smell that? *Sniffs* It smells like plot forming.


	38. Assurance and Lies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello~ It's your most favorite angst writer in the world, here to ruin your day. :3 No but seriously, work has killed me and that's why this is taking so long. Usually our days are slow until the weekend, so when there's nothing to do I write, but these last few weeks. Yikes. :1 Anyway, ready to get the crap out of this damn filler arc? I sure am. I'm already writing for the court scenes! I'm so excited to get this back up. ^^ Let's do this, guys! Take my hand and join me on this pain! :'D
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 38: Assurance and Lies**

* * *

He had listened to the order. He decided it was best to start with two weeks. Two weeks was a reasonable amount of time, wasn't it? That was enough time to relax, kick back and take care of some things at his apartment that had to be done, and get his mind clear. He had to if he had to face Grisha again. Just his name burned a new found anger in his body, which he knew he had to control. If he didn't, their case would be ruined before it even began.

He needed to remain calm. He needed to keep control of himself. He had to do it. It wasn't a question. If he wanted his kids safe and happy for the rest of their lives, he needed to.

Two weeks was a lot of boring time though.

He had time to reflect. He had _plenty_ of it. He had so much time that he had exhausted ever chore in the apartment he needed to do, every movie he could have watched, any books he could have read that he already had read a dozen times before.

The first few days were nice and relaxing, but by the end of his two weeks, he was desperate to be back at work. He needed work, something to keep his mind occupied, because once he had done everything he needed to do, he had too much time on his hands. He had too much time to think, and that wasn't healthy for someone like him. He needed his job and he needed people to talk to, because Eren wasn't there to say anything to. It was too quiet without him around, but he knew it was for the best.

So when Tuesday two weeks later strolled around, he was more than relieved. Apparently, so was everyone else.

After being put on desk work, Levi got more work done in an hour then it took most to do in a single day. It was something to do with his boredom, which he didn't think he could suffer from until his vacation. So when he returned, there were mountains of files that needed to be sorted and a shortage of men and woman needed to do it.

Everyone was a sight for sore eyes, and they seemed to feel the same. Even Hitch and Marlowe, who had taken on some of the responsibility of sorting through papers (after he begged her for her help), we're all smiles towards him.

True to his work ethic that Erwin had spoken of, Levi got through most of it that single evening.

Yes, it was a definite relief to be back and doing work.

When seven rolled around, Erwin told him it was okay to take a break. Truthfully, the older man hadn't even thought of taking a break. He just wanted to work, but now that he thought of it, his stomach was rumbling and he definitely needed a restroom. Without argument he left after a quick question around the office if anyone wanted any pizza. It seemed as if it was him and two others who were hungry, and that was enough people for a large pizza.

When he stomach growled, he realized he was probably hungrier than he once thought.

He ordered quickly for delivery and ran to the bathrooms, because he wasn't about to test the duration of his bladder that night. Once that was done, the older man managed with very little effort to cringe at how disgusting the bathrooms were while washing his hands. Hadn't anyone bothered to clean? Or was there a lack in janitors too.

He took a moment to examine his features in the mirror, the bags under his eyes more prominent and his skin a bit paler than usual. He figured as much after staying in his apartment for the past two weeks. It was still too cold to do anything like go to a beach and swim, and he wasn't the type to just lounge around on a beach by himself. It was still too cold to go out and do anything really, so the comforts of his apartment were far more appealing than anything else.

It just happened to make him look partially dead.

"I look like hell..." He mumbled to himself before starting up the sink again. He ran his hands under the water before scooping up some of the mildly warm liquid and splashing it into his face. He was feeling a tad on the fatigued side, so this helped to wake him up.

The door to the bathroom opened. He didn't think twice about it at first, simply keeping his down to avoid water getting everywhere. When he managed to find the paper towels blindly and wipe his face off, however, he had wished he'd kept them closed.

In the reflection of the mirror, he could see Eren standing behind him, hands brought up to his chest, eyes wide and red like he was about to cry.

How long had it been now since they'd seen each other? Since they talked to each other? Long enough, Levi assumed. Eren's hair was longer now, his bangs now down in his face a little. His skin was slightly paler than he remembered, and the bags under his eyes were terrible. He looked like he hadn't had a decent night of sleep in a long time, but one thing was prominently different, and that was the shape of his face.

He was starting to gain weight. It wasn't a whole lot, but it was a start.

Levi looked away from the reflection, instead looking back down to the sink to turn it off. He heard Eren walking around behind him, heading for one of the stalls.

What was he doing here? Were Mikasa and Armin with him as well? They must have been here to finish up questions and reports, but now? One would think Erwin would bring them here while he wasn't around, but maybe it wasn't a possibility at the moment.

Levi finished with cleaning up the water off of the sinks. He didn't hear any stalls behind him close, but he didn't dare look up. He couldn't give Eren an adva-

"C-Captain Levi!"

The older man cursed his luck, his muscles tense. He turned to look over his shoulder, eyeing the brunette in hopes that he'd scare him off with a nasty glare, but it wouldn't work. It would never work. Eren wasn't scared of him no matter what he did, and he never had been.

He almost responded back at first, but he kept quiet. He hoped at the most Eren would get the point, but the teen had a thick skull.

He should have known that by now.

"C-Can I..." Eren paused, his fingers clenching tightly together as he looked away. A dark flush covered his cheeks, eyes shying away from his stare for a moment longer before looking back. "Can I just... One hug?" He asked with a trembling voice.

Levi stared at him for what felt like an eternity, eyes looking at him as if berating him, and he probably was. It wasn't until the older man let out a heavy sigh of relief that he allowed himself to run in his direction.

Maybe that wasn't where he was going with that prolonged sigh. Maybe he meant something completely different. Maybe, no, for sure he wasn't prepared when Eren hugged him, because he was knocked back into the counter at the force of Eren's weight suddenly on him.

Levi's hands wrapped around his waist as he returned the hug, feeling the warmth of the teen's body against him, the small shudders as heavy breathing wracked his body. He could feel the subtle shivers, noticed the tight grip around his shoulders, and the tears starting to drip on his neck.

He wasn't sure if there was much he could say at this point. Technically there wasn't anything he could say. He wasn't allowed to have contact with Eren, and just this would get them both in trouble, but he couldn't leave him like this. He wouldn't.

"It's going to be alright..." He promised in a small voice, his hand lifting to run through tangled hair.

"N-No it's not..." The teen cried against his shoulder. Levi leaned back to get a good look at his face, taking note of the dark bags under his swollen eyes and the stains of dried tears on his cheeks.

"Yes it is. I promise, Eren..." His hand came around to wipe at his tears, giving his cheeks a light squeeze in hopes to lighten the mood.

"Don't..." He practically pouted.

"Sorry... I was just thinking that you've gained some weight since I last saw you." Levi commented. Maybe it wasn't the best of choices in terms of conversation, but it was something to get his mind off it.

"You can tell?" Green eyes widened in surprise, his idea seeming to work.

"Yeah. Your cheeks are a little rounder since the last time I saw you..."

Eren's lips turned down in a frown and his eyes looked away, seemingly put off by the comment.

"Is it bad then?"

"No, of course not." Levi reached up with his other hand to cup Eren's cheeks together, forcing his eyes on him and only him. "Eren, you don't look like you're at death's doorstep anymore. This is good; it's healthy. I know it doesn't seem like it, but it is. Just keep eating, okay? Work out like I do if you're really worried, but you're doing fine..."

A low whine came from deep in Eren's throat before he dropped his head down onto the man's shoulder, trying to hide. It'd been the better part of a month since he had seen his face, a lot longer since they had the chance to talk face to face. He should have been comfortable with it like he had been before, but he wasn't. This wasn't normal for him anymore, and it was disturbing.

"What am I gonna do?" Eren asked quietly.

"About your weight? Eren, I already told yo-"

"No," Eren stopped him without looking up. "About... About court...? I can't face him, captain, I just can't..."

"Yes you can," Levi said simply. "You're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for. You can do it, just one step at a time."

"It's getting closer though. The closer it gets, the more I can't sleep. I don't want to eat anything, but Hanji makes me. I can't breathe right when I think about it-"

"Eren, stop." Levi interrupted him. The brunette's breathing had picked up, just like he said it would, leaving him panting slightly when Levi forced his face up once more. "You're psyching yourself out. You can't think of it that way."

"How else am I supposed to think about it, Captain Levi?" Eren asked him, stray tears lingering at the corners of his eyes. "He's my father... I-I can't hurt him..."

Levi needed to figure out how Eren could have such devotion, even after all the man had done to him.

"This is where you need to be selfish though, Eren. You can't think about him anymore. You need to worry about you, your health, and your family."

"He _is_ my family!"

"But what has he done in the past three years that has benefitted you, Eren?" Levi questioned disparagingly. "What did he do that was for you and your wellbeing, and not the other way around?"

To that, the teen was quiet. He didn't have an answer to that, because there was none. What had Grisha done for him in the past three years?

Absolutely nothing.

"I know you're scared, but I also know you want Mikasa and Armin safe. If you want them safe, you need to end this, and only you three can do that. If not, I can't promise a safe future for you, no matter what I do to protect you. It's only you that can end this now, Eren, and that means you need to stand up to him and fight."

Eren's glassy eyes had taken on a dim look, as if the words were going in one ear and out the other. However, he could tell he was listening by the focus still present in his expression. He was drinking up each and every word he could to heart, figuring it safe that Levi would tell him.

Hanji could tell him anything, but he knew he could trust what Levi had to say.

"... Okay..." He spoke softly.

"Okay...?" Levi questioned.

"Okay..." Eren agreed, his anxiety seeming to disperse.

"Good..." Levi praised before rubbing the back of his head. "We'll get through this, Eren. All of us. You just have to stay strong and trust us, okay?"

"Okay..." He agreed once again, his head falling to rest on the older man's shoulder. "I trust you..."

"Good." Levi wrapped his arms around his waist again, keeping him close and safe in a warm embrace.

He really should have been focusing on his time. Eventually someone was going to notice that one of them was gone. Someone would come looking for Eren, probably Hanji or the kids. Someone would come looking for him too, because it wasn't normal to be in a bathroom for ten minutes, but his focus was on Eren. He needed a comforting hold, someone to talk to him softly and assure him that everything would be alright. He needed reassurance, and Levi wasn't going to be the person to leave him behind in his time of need. He wasn't going to ignore him or act as if nothing was wrong, because that in itself was wrong.

Eren would lose it again if he did something like that to him, and he wasn't about to hurt him again.

"It'll be alright, Eren..." Levi said softly and rubbed his back. He felt the reluctant nod of his head against his shoulder before the brunette spoke up.

"I'm sorry, Captain..."

"What are you apologizing for?" Levi asked him, but he got his answer quick enough.

Before he had a chance to realize what he had done, Eren's lips were against his. It was a quick, chaste kiss that hid the kid's pain and tears. Levi couldn't even react in surprise before it was over, and before Eren pulled out of his arms and left the bathroom, leaving him alone.

* * *

"Good morning, Levi..."

The officer lifted his head up, paperwork ignored to see Hanji standing in front of him, bundled up in a light sweater with her purse at her side.

"Good morning..." He replied stiffly.

There was still, for better lack of words, a _passive tension_ between them. There was a silent, mutual understanding that things were how they were for reasons neither would explain properly, and all that could be done was to sit and be quiet about it. This was the first time in weeks Hanji had spoken with him unprovoked, or without someone else present, and more or less, it was unsettling.

"Can I ask you something really quick?" She questioned and sat on the edge of his desk. "It's about Eren..."

"... Sure," He replied and sat up in his chair. For whatever reason, he had a bad feeling in his stomach.

He hadn't told her about the meeting, had he? He definitely didn't tell her about the kiss. No, he wouldn't do that. Eren was a teenager with a lack of common sense, but that didn't mean he was stupid. He knew they weren't allowed to be near each other, so why would he jeopardize what little hope they had left?

"Eren was so distraught about court, but these past few days, I've noticed he's been more... _Peaceful_ about it. A little more courageous even. I wasn't sure if he'd come to some sort of conclusion on his own or not, but I wondered if maybe you'd talked to him at all..."

"Of course I didn't. You know I'm not allowed to see or speak with any of them." Levi answered before looking back down at her paperwork.

Yes, he had talked with Eren, but he wasn't going to admit it. Still, he found her allegations insulting. Even if it weren't true, why couldn't she think Eren found out something on his own? He was strong after all. He could do it, it was just a matter of getting there.

He did have some help in that though, hadn't he?

"Of course... You're right. What am I thinking?" Hanji questioned before she stood and turned around, her tone taking a turn for something happier. Levi shot her a not too pleased glare before looking back at his work. "Well then you should feel at ease to know that he's getting there. Mikasa and Armin are doing better too."

With that, she began walking away. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of any more information, because that was enough. However, as she walked out of the office and down the halls, her smile faded. Dread hung heavily over her head as she reached down into her bag and opened it, pulling out a little golden notebook with Eren's name on it.

He had just lied right to her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just let that one sink in...


	39. Hearing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is the next chapter really chapter 40? Really? Are you guys really still following this? Anyway, so one thing before we continue. SO! Finally we've hit the court ark. Now, I do want this as realistic as possible, however, I will be taking some liberty in some places. I think there are some people who read this and are like, "A cop would never do this," Ect, and are taking it WAAAAY too seriously, and I get that. However, this is a fanfic, as in not real, so of course it's not following everything. :) I am doing research, and NO, not just SVU. I mean sure, I'm watching it (Against my will. I can't stop. Send help), but I am actually doing my research. The whole point to this paragraph though, is that I will bend to some parts, but I am working hard to give it a realistic feel, while not being... Realistic...
> 
> It's midnight. I'm tired. X'D ENJOY, MY LOVELIES! :D
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 39: Hearing**

* * *

April fifth.

The hearing.

It was finally here.

Levi didn't understand why people felt the need to dress up for a simple hearing. All they were doing today was deciding what happened with Grisha until they began presenting evidence, but he wore a crisp, button up shirt, black dress slacks, and a heavy rain coat regardless.

He met with Erwin in front of the court house, noon on the dot like he had been told. Erwin was dressed in a slightly similar fashion, but with the rain pouring hard and the air of dread hanging over their heads, there wasn't much in the form of greetings between them.

"Let's get out of this crap." Levi told him with his jacket pulled over his head. Erwin nodded his head wordlessly before they walked in, avoiding the others walking through or gazes of people simply waiting for a quick interview.

Had word of their case already gotten out?

Levi looked up to his commander with a questioning glance, hoping to get an answer.

"I don't know how people figured it out, but I can't keep it under secrecy any longer." He told him as they began walking down the halls of the court house.

"Do the kids know?" He asked him.

"Not yet. I was hoping to hold back the information for as long as possible. If we're lucky, it won't go far."

"Are you kidding?" Levi questioned skeptically. "Three teenagers forced into prostitution by their adoptive father. It'll make national headlines in a fucking week."

"Let's try to keep it under wraps, Captain." Erwin said in a slightly breathless manner as they walked to the judge's chambers. Levi quickly noticed Hanji standing outside of the room, not alone. Beside her stood the three teens, all dressed up for the morbid occasion.

Mikasa was in a pale, purple shirt, a long, black skirt covering her legs, but it wasn't long enough to hide the scars of attempted self-harm on her body. Maybe that was for the best? At least a jury would see it.

Her hair had gotten longer since he'd seen her. Now it sat a little past her shoulders, her bangs long since grown out. The older man distantly wondered if she would bother getting it cut again, or if she was letting it grow out.

Armin stood beside her, for once not connected to Eren's side. He was the one most dressed, hidden behind a smaller version of a lawyer's attire, except his was a dark blue suit. His shoes were sneakers despite the rest of his outfit, but Erwin had mentioned something about a problem with his feet, so anything less than comfortable wouldn't suffice. His hair had gotten longer too, with the positive fact that it covered up the bald spot on his head. He still parted it off to the side, but it sat more naturally now then forced.

He looked a lot better now. He had gained a decent amount of weight, and after proper sleep and medication, his complexion was far better than it had been. He still had bags under his eyes, but Levi could guess that had something to do with the stress of the upcoming hearing and nothing more.

For once, Eren stood behind him, as if hiding from the world behind the smaller teen. His hair was freshly cut, bangs out of his eyes, and dressed down for such an event. All he had to call a formal outfit was his black sweater and a pair of blue denim jeans, but Levi didn't miss the new accessory wrapped around his wrist, hidden under his sleeve.

Unlike Armin, Eren's appearance had worsened. He looked as if he had lost weight, and after all of the work they had done to get it on him. He had terrible bags under his eyes, his skin a sickly pale color. His hair, even from this distance, looked thinner, as if he had been losing it, or, dare Levi think, been pulling it out.

He wouldn't do that, would he?

All too soon did the kids see him. He saw the anxious looks tossed between them; lost, confused, and broken. They looked between Hanji and Erwin, silently asking; no. Silently _begging_ them. Levi looked towards the blonde as well, hoping he'd tell him what to do. Anything.

He couldn't see those desperate looks on their faces.

"Go on," Erwin told him, almost dejectedly. "They need you."

"Thank you," Levi managed to say over his shoulder before running ahead.

The three teens seemed to understand what had been discussed between the two, utter relief washing over them before they ran forward to meet him halfway.

It was Eren who ran into Levi's arms first, Mikasa quickly joining and managing to wiggle in between her brother's tight grip. Armin stood behind for a moment, confused as to what to do. Levi wasn't as important to him as Eren and Mikasa were. Mikasa was his niece after all, and this was a family matter. He didn't count in this, right?

"Armin," Levi said his name before motioning towards him. The blonde sighed in relief before lunging forward, finding a place in the crowded group hug, but it was comfortable. That was all he needed.

"Levi..." Mikasa uttered in distress.

"Shh, it's alright..." Levi said and leaned back. "It'll all be alright."

"I'm scared..." Armin told him.

"That's alright," Levi told him. "I can't tell you not to be, but trust us. You're safe with us."

"I-I know, but... We have to go in there... We have to face _him_..."

The older man felt the grip around his waist tighten considerably. He patted the top of Armin's head lightly before leaning back, pulling Eren apart from his body. The brunette was reluctant, but he met his gaze regardless.

"You walk in there with your heads held high." He told him, told _them_. "I know it's hard, but you can do this. It's the only way to end it..."

He wasn't in the right place to give them advice. He wasn't even allowed to talk to them at this point, but it was all he could say, if anything.

"Okay..." Mikasa agreed quietly. Armin nodded wordlessly, allowing himself a deep breath. He was trying his hardest, and even if Mikasa was, he was showing it. They were doing well, but the subtle shiver in Eren's muscles remained as he gripped at Levi's jacket with one hand. The other remained close to his chest, cradled carefully so as not to disrupt the new brace.

Levi looked at it for a moment, letting it sink in before he grabbed his arm and held it up.

Eren wasn't wearing the brace last time he saw him. His hand had healed fine, not even so much as a terrible scar left to show what had happened. Now his hand was freshly wrapped in a clean gauze, ace wrap, and a brace holding it all in place.

"... Eren," He said in a disapproving tone.

"I-I didn't mean to..." The teen whimpered, his bottom lip trembling as he tried to keep himself composed. "I blacked out, I-I didn't know I did it until..."

Levi briefly looked to the other kids, noticing the way they looked away, as if guilty of not protecting their brother from himself.

"It took twenty three stitches this time."

The older man looked away from them and to the voice behind him. Erwin and Hanji stood by, but not alone. Beside them stood a man he'd met only on a few occasions, all of which were not good ones. All of them had been tense or pressured by the situations in court, so he'd never really gotten the chance to know. However, he knew that dark brown hair and that stern face that had aged from hard work.

"Flagon..." Levi spoke his name.

Flagon Darlett was an abrasive, loud man when he wanted to be, and quiet, but stern when he needed to be. He'd been a lawyer for the better part of ten years, working on their cases and fighting to help the innocent people they found get out of terrible situations. He'd been a great asset to them until he was transferred, but if he was here now, it meant that he was desperately needed.

"It's been a while, Levi." The man said and approached him, a hand outstretched to him. Levi reached out and shook it, his face apathetic to his presence.

"It has been. I thought you were in Sina working with the police?"

"I got transferred back a few months ago. Seems to be just in time too." The man looked over to the three teens, noticing their apprehensive gazes. He'd already met them weeks before, talking them through over and over again what would happen today, but he knew the anxiety was weighing on their young minds. "How are you three today?"

"Could be better..." Armin answered for them all. "Thank you, Sir..."

"Guys, it's going to be okay. I've already talked about what's happening today. What's happening today really isn't even the hard part. Just keep calm, talk when you're spoken to, and most importantly, _face him_." He approached them cautiously, as if they were wild animals ready to scatter if he made one false move. "Don't let him win, alright?"

Muted nods were his reply, all of which he expected. Easier said than done, wasn't it?

"Pardon my intrusion, but I don't think that's the best advice to give to three prostitutes."

The group turned at the sound of a new voice, to face a man the teens hadn't seen before. He was a very tall man, taller than Erwin even, with short black hair combed from his face. He was older though, wrinkles around his eyes and sagging his skin, making him look ancient really.

The kids hadn't seen this man before. They'd never even heard of someone like him being here today, but the adults beside them seemed to know who he was.

"Pastor Nick..." Flagon said in what seemed to be demeaning. "It's been quite a while, my old friend. Still working for scum pimps?"

"Still working for street rat teens?" The man asked as he walked up to them.

"Don't tell me you're defending Grisha..." Hanji uttered disparagingly.

"Yes, I'll be representing Dr. Jaeger through this case. An esteemed man such as himself shouldn't be blemished by his unruly children." The man spoke.

"If him being a doctor is the only defense you've got, you're making this a lot easier for me, Nick." Flagon told him and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh no. We're just getting started." This man, Nick, said before walking into the office beside them.

The door shut with a quiet click, leaving the only sounds between them the people walking around and talking. It was silent between them for a moment longer before Levi decided it needed to be said.

"You can't be serious..." He groaned and rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "That God loving mother fucker is going to be Grisha's attorney?"

"I haven't seen him since that last case three years ago..." Hanji muttered. "He's been silent ever since."

"And if he's here today, we've got a problem." Flagon spoke up and set his hands on his hips. "He's right. This is going to be one hell of a battle. He's not going to give up easily, not without a fight, so we need to be on our toes."

"Kids," Erwin said and turned to them. "I can't give much on advice, but here's one thing I can tell you. You need to be honest up there." The three teens looked to the man with wide eyes, soaking in his words. They took what he said to heart and eagerly waited for more to heed his advice. "Don't hold back any information. You need to tell the jury _everything_ that's happened to you."

* * *

"Take a deep breath..."

Eren listened to Levi's words, fingers clenching together in his lap as the doors opened. A man in blue walked out first, followed by one more before _he_ walked out.

 _He_ was in an orange shirt and pants, shackles on his wrists. He was trudging through the room, staring ahead at particularly nothing until he spotted them.

Eren quickly looked down into his lap when he saw those green eyes on him.

No, he couldn't do it. He couldn't look at him. He couldn't face him. He didn't care if Mikasa and Armin kept their heads up, that the adults were staring him down. He couldn't do it.

"Eren..." The brunette felt a hand on his back, pressing gently into his shoulder. He kept his head down, but jumped in place for just a moment.

He knew that was Levi's hand on him. He knew Levi was sitting behind him, trying to keep him calm, but it wasn't working. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, his version going blurry. His hearing was tuning out everything and his muscles were tight.

"I can't breathe..." He whispered as his father took a seat at the table to the side of them with his lawyer.

"Eren..." Armin said in a hushed tone and touched the back of his hand. "It'll only be a few minutes... We can do this..."

Eren couldn't miss the way the blonde's hands were shaking. He was just as scared, but for once, it was him trying to comfort the brunette, not the other way around.

"Armin..." He whimpered. He just wanted to crawl under the table, curl up into a ball with Armin and hide forever.

"It's okay, you guys..." Erwin said over the divider with an assuring tone. "Remember, he can't ever get to you. We won't let him."

"That doesn't stop him..." Mikasa mumbled, eyes straight forward and not looking at anything. At least she was doing better at keeping control over her emotions then they were.

"All rise." The bailiff called out into the room. The room did as told, waiting until and older man, grey hair even in his beard, walked into the room.

"Good..." Eren scarcely heard Levi whisper. "It's Judge Zackley..."

"Good morning, everyone," The man announced into the room as he took a seat at his bench. "Let's get things started today, shall we? Calling the case of the people of the state versus Grisha Jaeger. Are both sides present?"

"We are, your honor." Pastor Nick answered.

"What are the charges against the defendant?"

Flagon walked forward with his files to the judge.

"Five accounts of murder in the first degree. Three accounts of sexual misconduct with a minor in the first degree. Three accounts of child abuse in the third degree and three accounts of unlawful imprisonment in the third degree." He listed off, walking back to his seat. He noticed the way both Pastor Nick and Grisha were glaring daggers at him, but he chose to ignore it. He needed to remain calm and not be deterred by their actions.

"That's quite the number of charges, isn't it, Dr. Jaeger?" Zackley questioned with a skeptical eye towards the man, his focus mainly on the folder in his hand. The green eyed man didn't reply, not so much as a blink of the eye. "Pastor Nick, how does your defendant plead?" He asked.

"Not guilty by reason of mental defect." Pastor Nick suddenly spoke for him.

"Mental defect? Are you kidding me?" Flagon addressed. "He's not crazy."

"Grisha Jaeger was an esteemed Doctor at Rose Medical Center, with two perfect children and a loving wife. He dedicated his free time to his family and helping people. Are you telling me that a man like that would just do this out of anger?"

"Your honor, his wife and he were in the middle of a divorce by the time he'd set his house on fire, murdered his wife, and kidnapped his children. You can see where he'd do this in spite of her actions for revenge."

"And torture three innocent children for three years? What completely sane man would do that without something else behind it? What sane man would burn his home down and murder someone he loved? Not to mention health issues have been present in his family before."

"Gentlemen, you'll do well to hold back within my court room." Zackley warned them, eyes narrowing at them.

"Terribly sorry, your honor." Grisha's lawyer apologized.

Zackley sat back in his seat, eyes glaring at the man sitting in his chair quietly. He hasn't said anything yet, but that was to be expected.

"... I'll allow it." He spoke.

"Fucking hell..." The teens heard Levi cuss under his breath. Eren turned in his seat and looked at him, eyes wide and pleading for answers.

"What does that mean?" He asked him. Levi raised a hand to him, a silent sign to tell him to be patient and wait for his answer. How could he ask that of him though? That was too much for someone like him.

"Your honor-" Flagon began, but stopped when the older man held up a hand.

"I'll allow this plea so long as Grisha is admitted into Maria's for physic evaluation and long term stay until the next court date. He is to give up his passport and no contact is to come to him in any means other than you." Zackley explained to them while motioning to the lawyer.

Pastor Nick leaned down to speak in a hushed whisper to Grisha. There was a small conversation exchanged, something the man in shackles didn't seem to appreciate before he nodded his head and before his lawyer stood back straight.

"We'll take it," He told the judge.

"Alright. That will conclude our hearing today. Thank you for being here, and I will see you all April twenty eighth and nine, bright and early."

With that, the gavel hit its post and the room began to scatter. The teen's turned back in their seats again, hoping to get some answers. They had no idea as to what was going on right now, but the adults were talking. Erwin and Levi seemed to be having a quiet argument amongst themselves, Levi being on the bad end of that argument. Hanji seemed to be ignoring them, simply switching seats to be closer to them.

"Hanji, what did that mean?" Mikasa asked her. "That plea thing...?"

"What happened is that Grisha's lawyer wants to say that what he did to you three was from some mental disease. He wants to say that he wasn't cognizant enough to realize he was hurting all of you." She told them, quietly so as to avoid eyes on her.

"Of course he was!" Armin nearly barked, but managed to keep his tone quiet. He didn't need the man who had done this to them looking over at them any more than he already was. He could just feel his gaze on him, making him shiver in disgust.

"And we know that, but they need to disprove it." Hanji assured him and rubbed at his shoulder, hoping to calm him some.

"This works in our favor though." Levi interjected.

"How so?" His niece questioned skeptically.

"He just said not guilty by reason of mental defect. What they said eludes to the point that, yes, he harmed you guys. They just admitted to being guilty, but innocent because he's crazy."

"So... If he isn't found guilty because he's crazy..." Eren began, eyes on the floor and lips barely parting. "He'll just go to jail?"

"That's for the judge and jury to decide." The older man added. "But like I said, he just admitted to hurting you. Their argument is just that he wasn't aware he was doing it until it was too late."

"And it's a weak one..." Flagon suddenly jumped in, having been listening in on their conversation and taking in their words. "However, if he's going with it, it could either mean he has a whole file of evidence ready to slap in our faces, or he has none and he's already at his last defenses."

"Pastor Nick isn't a person so unprepared." Erwin said to them. "We need to be on our toes with everything that's happened, because this is going to be a long trial."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm running out of characters to use in this story that I haven't already killed off and/or are not as important... Yep.


	40. Armin Arlert

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 40 chapters... Why are you still here again? X'D Of course I seriously appreciate you guys so much, but seriously. When did this story get so in depth and detailed?! I don't even know anymore! Stick with me though. I know we're in a bit of a rut, where the Ereri isn't happening very much right now and the angst is real, but it shall return. Sometimes I contemplate stopping this story though. You really aren't going to like me for this story. Like, let's say I have 400 followers. I would say a good 300 would stop following me because of this story. Just saying. XD
> 
> Alright, so before we begin, I'd like to start with saying that I'm going to be focusing on my other story for a bit. I'll still update this one, but Change is almost done, and I kind of want to bring it to a close so I can put all my attention on this one. I don't like having multiple stories, and low and behold, two years later and I have a few now. Ugh. So bear with me! We're getting there, my friends! I'd also like to preface this chapter by saying, while I want it to be realistic, there are some things that happen in court that I didn't put, such as swearing to truth and what not. I'm aware that isn't there, but I feel like some of it is boring details that would slow up the story and make it harder to read. Like my Authors Notes. :')
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: All In by Monster X

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 40: Armin Arlert**

* * *

"Just keep your heads down and run in..." Erwin told the kids before opening the car doors.

Flashes of light flooded their eyes as each of them stepped out, one by one. Voices, loud and incessant, called out to them, yelling out for answers to their questions. Notepads held out, cameras in their faces, microphones too close for their comfort.

"Please step back," They could hear officers speak over them, pushing them back so the teens could walk into the court house. "Stay behind the barriers!"

"Come on..." Levi's voice was barely audible over the herd of people calling out to them, but the hand on Eren's back was ever present, pushing him and the other two forward. "The faster we get in the less we have to deal with them."

The scurried quickly, avoiding all questions and cameras as they made their way up the steps to the court house. People followed close behind, desperate, but at least the police could keep them back some. It was enough for them to run ahead and keep them away as they ran in.

Marlow shut the doors behind them. The paparazzi weren't allowed beyond this point, but he didn't even want so much as a flash of light to pass into the halls.

"Are you okay?" He asked of Armin, who had stumbled on the steps to try to get in faster. The blonde nodded his head wordlessly, trying to catch his breath while favoring his right leg.

"Those fucking pests..." Levi growled out in anger.

"Is that always happening?" Mikasa asked him while helping Armin to his feet.

"Unfortunately..." Levi reached for the brunette at his side and held his arm, keeping his steady. He wasn't stable, physically or mentally. It didn't help him any that just about every news station knew of their situation now, and were desperate for answers. They didn't need everyone on their asses. "You okay...?"

"I-I think so..." He answered, voice shaking and stuttering.

It wasn't just the cameras and people that got him upset. It was today. Today they were finally starting up the really thing, getting straight down to business. No more avoiding this. No more dodging bullets. He thoughts he'd done okay surviving the hearing, and he thanked his lucky stars he managed to stay sane.

No more of that. Now he had to go up into that chair. He had to speak the truth. He couldn't hold back, and he had to do all of it in front of his father.

Just thinking about it had his breathing labored. His heart was pounding in his chest again, but Levi was kind enough to rub at his back, trying to bring him some reassurance.

He knew now there was nothing he could do. This was just the bear minimal of bringing comfort. He wasn't allowed to speak to them about the case, wasn't allowed to give them advice. All he could do was keep him close and promise him everything would be okay when it probably wouldn't.

"How about we go have a seat?" Hanji recommended and motioned to a bench not far off. "We've got twenty minutes before we need to be in there anyway."

The teen's agreed all but reluctantly and moved to sit. Erwin stepped away for a few minutes, only to return with water for the three of them. In that time, they were quiet. They didn't even know how to comfort themselves anymore let alone the others. Armin wasn't sure what he could say to Eren to make him feel better. He was partially afraid to even speak, afraid he'd hurt his friend. He didn't want to do that to him, and Mikasa felt the same.

"Here," Erwin offered the small cups of water to each of them. It wasn't much, but it was a start.

"There's no way to cancel this, is there...?" Eren suddenly asked. "Or postpone it...?"

"I'm afraid not, sweetie." Hanji told him and rubbed at the hand within its brace.

"You don't want to postpone anything, Eren." Levi spoke up. "I know it feels that way, but this was bound to happen sooner or later. Let's do it now and get it over with..."

"I-..." Eren choked on a gasp, his grip around the paper cup tightening. "I don't think I-I can do this..."

"Yes you can..." Erwin assured of him. "One step at a time, okay?"

"No, r-really, I-"

"Eren..." Armin began and rested a hand on his knee.

The brunette looked over to him meekly, eyes looking those big blue ones of Armin that had him taking in a deep breath regardless. There was always that something Armin had that no one else could do for him.

"Take a deep breath, Eren..." Mikasa instructed softly.

"We're together in this. You aren't alone." Armin told him in hopes to make him feel better, but he knew the chances were slim. Sure, they'd suffered the same fate, but what had been done to them wasn't their flesh and blood.

"We're here for you too..." Hanji assured them and kneeled down in front of them. "Flagon also knows how hard this is for you. If he sees you having a hard time, he'll help. That's what he's here for."

Oh, but if only that were true.

* * *

"I'd like to call Armin Arlert to the stand."

The blonde's eyes widened, fear suddenly rising in his gut. Flagon had called his name, but him _first_. Out of all the people to call first, why him?

His blue eyes quickly darted from Eren to the adults around him, Erwin and Levi giving him and equal nod of the head in assurance. Mikasa gently rubbed at his shoulder before he stood, hand lingering in Eren's before he let go. He didn't like his hand feeling so empty like this, but he couldn't bring him along. He had to do this on his own now.

The teen treaded carefully from his table to the chair in front of everyone; the jury, the witnesses, the judge, and _him_. Everyone. He sat down carefully, swallowing around a dry lump in his throat and trying to keep his eyes down.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't look at him.

"Are you okay enough to answer right now, Armin?" Flagon asked him, but not to make him sound problematic. He needed the jury to know he was mentally stable enough to answer these questions.

"Y-Yes si-" Armin began, but stopped short at the abrupt outburst from Nick.

"Objection, your honor. Is there relevance to the question?"

"These poor kids have been abused in the harshest of ways for the better part of three years. I'm simply making sure Armin is okay to continue." Flagon explained, but he faced the judge as he spoke.

"Sustained," Zackley concluded, and Armin didn't miss the small glare or the way the pastor sat back in his seat. "Continue."

"As you were saying, Armin," The lawyer turned back to Armin and asked.

"Yes sir. I'm okay..." He answered.

Flagon nodded his head in understanding.

"Armin, there is a lot to go over. This is three years of kidnapping, torture, sexual abuse; the list is almost endless. So let's just start from the beginning. Do you want to tell the jury what happened the night Doctor Jaeger kidnapped you?"

"Objection, your honor." Nick blurted once more, sounding equally annoyed. "He's pointing out my client."

"Sustained. I shouldn't hear anything more like that today, gentlemen." Zackley warned.

Nick wouldn't give him the time of day to get a word out without something being wrong with it. He was taking steps. Granted, they were risky, but they were steps.

"I apologize. Armin, would you please tell the jury of the night you were kidnapped?"

"... I-I was at Eren's house." Armin began. "I was having a sleep over there. We could hear Dr. Jaeger and Carla fighting downstairs, so we were watching a movie, and we had it turned up really loud to ignore them..."

"Let the records show that Carla was his wife and Eren's mother." Flagon interrupted, but only briefly. Carla was hardly mentioned within the case, and the jury needed to know.

"After we finished one of the movies, I noticed the fighting stopped. That's when he came in and told us we were going out for a trip. Like vacation..."

"Did he say where you were going?"

"No. He just had us get into the car."

"And you didn't pack anything? He didn't say he was going to bring you home so you can pack?"

"None of us did. We just got in the car and waited."

"You want to tell us who was there before you got in the car?"

"... J-Jean Kirstein and Christa Renz, along with someone else. I didn't know who she was, but she was Asian like Mikasa."

Flagon began wandering back to his desk, grabbing files to hold out, and pictures from the fire for the jury and judge to see.

"If you'll notice, Christa Renz and Jean Kirstein bare a strong resemblance to Armin and Eren. I shouldn't need to say more about the Jane Doe found along with them. At the time the fire happened and Grisha was reportedly missing, four bodies were discovered. One of which belonged to Carla Jaeger, and three others so charred they couldn't even been given genders let alone identities. They were determined to be these three teen's sitting before you today. However, at the time they were reported dead, Christa and Jean went missing, never to be found again."

Flagon set the photos and file down on the counter in front of the judge to inspect. Photos of the burned beyond recognition bodies, of the house, of Christa and Jean when they had been alive.

"Armin, what had Dr. Jaeger told you when you saw the three of them there?" He asked of the blonde.

"He said they were house sitting while we were gone." He answered him truthfully.

"And to this day, you don't know who the second girl was who replaced Mikasa in the fire?"

"No sir. I don't." Truly, he didn't have a clue. He hadn't met her before in his life.

"So after they were taking charge of being in the house, and you were in the car, what happened then?"

"... I-I noticed Eren's dad seemed really... Standoff ish. He was hustling to get us in the car, and he only had one suitcase he put in the back. We were waiting for Carla to come out and join us, but after a few minutes..." Armin trailed off, the memories of bright lights suddenly burning in his mind. "W-We were locked in the car, so we couldn't get out. We saw fire starting to come out of the windows. We were yelling at him about the fire, but he started driving off. He didn't say a word."

He swallowed heavily, trying to contain himself. Trying to keep an even temper. He'd come this far, and he wasn't about to lose, because he couldn't speak. He wouldn't let this man win again. He couldn't. If he did then all of this hellish nightmare would continue.

"Do you remember where he took you?"

"I can't say for sure. We drove for hours... A day I think. We were really far out into the country and I dozed off once or twice. He took us to an old farm house though. Really old. There was still a bomb shelter there. That's... We stayed locked down there."

"How long were you down there for?"

"Almost two years..." Armin admitted weakly, quietly, as if it were a secret.

"Did he tell you that?"

"No, I counted."

"I remember you telling me how you kept track of the days. Are you okay telling everyone how you did it?"

Armin stared at the people sitting not too far off, at the jury. Were they believing his story right now? Did they trust him enough to believe him?

"I counted the days when Mikasa got pregnant..." He said, eyes locking onto no one in particular. He saw the small twitches in expressions, eyes widening, lips parting on nearly silent gasps. "The first time she carried for eight months and twenty eight days. The second time, a full nine months. I figured counting the days from when we first started down there to when we left. After that, when we finally went to the city, every other time..."

He looked away and choked on his breath. He couldn't look at their expressions anymore.

It was one thing for her to have kids. To have her beaten to the point she had miscarriages? No, he couldn't talk about that. He couldn't do it. He wasn't strong enough for that.

"It's alright, Armin..." Flagon assured and stepped forward. He could tell this was his stopping point. There was no use in pushing him any further. "No further questions, your honor." He said to the judge before stepping back to his desk. Armin was just about ready to stand when Pastor Nick suddenly followed.

"I'd like to cross examine the witness, your honor." He announced.

Judge Zackley motioned forward, his silent way of agreeing to him. With permission, he stepped forward, arms fixing his button up jacket and shoulders rolling. The blonde carefully seated himself back down, sitting back, held lifting high. He was in for a ride with this one, but he wasn't going to back down.

This needed to end.

"Armin, didn't you find it odd that he was suddenly taking you somewhere?" He questioned him, not bothering to be so gentle with him. Why would he? He was trying to get him in trouble, not get him to take a deep breath. "Didn't you bother calling your grandfather and questioning him about the whole situation?"

"I didn't think it was really necessary." He answered in a shaky tone.

"Can you tell us why?"

"Because he'd never given me a reason to question him before."

The man clad in his black uniform turned to the jury, arms behind his back as he walked up to them.

"He's never given you a reason before? Never scared you, or made you feel like your life was in danger...?"

Armin caught on to his mistake quick enough.

"... N-No."

He'd just strengthened his argument.

"Now, in the basement, he kept you locked down there, right? There was no way to get out?"

"No sir."

"So what about when you were finally free? When he took you three to the city?" He asked him and stepped forward, a hard look on his face. "I mean you could have easily ran and gotten help just as easily as you had stayed."

"Objection, your honor!" Flagon suddenly called out.

"Withdrawn." Nick quickly returned and stepped back. "Let me ask again. Why didn't you go for help, at any point in time within your three years of encampment?"

"B-Because he said... That people were watching. That there were cameras. He said we'd be hurt or killed if we did." The teen told him, his voice quivering like his body.

"Well Armin, in evidence eighteen, after the raid of your home, no cameras were discovered at the scene. I'm sure you were later made aware of this. The doors were unlocked and Dr. Jaeger didn't live anywhere close enough to get to you if you decided to run. All this time you could have actually run away, had you chose to, but you decided to stay and continue on as prostitutes-."

"Objection!" Flagon called out again.

"Watch your tongue, Nick." Zackley warned him in a grave tone. "That will be the last time I say it today."

"My apologies. No further questions your honor." The pastor concluded and moved back to his seat.

"You may step down, son," Zackley told Armin, his voice softening. Armin nodded, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. He had gotten up here, knocking those evil eyes were on him. While he wasn't comfortable with it, he was okay, but now he had to move again? This was already asking so much of him.

Regardless, he found the strength and courage to step down. It felt like forever before he was finally back in his seat, hand reaching for Eren's. His breathing was labored, but Eren had seemed to calm enough to at least look him in the eyes and rub at his back.

"You did well..." Erwin whispered to him.

"I'm sorry I messed up..." He said softly. "I-I just let them think-"

"Let them think what they need to, Armin." Levi interrupted him. "That's how we'll get him in jail."

"I'm sorry..." He whispered under his breath.

He hadn't felt like he had done anything right, and now that he thought of it, there was still so much more he needed to say. He hadn't gotten it all out. His brain was now playing scenarios, coming up with ideas of what could have been had he said something or done something different. He should have done this instead of that; should have said something more, told more of the horrors of his past.

Mikasa and Eren still had their chances to speak, and he hoped with all his might everything would come out. How could this be over if not?

"You honor, I'd like to call Mikasa Ackerman to the stand next."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Armin will be back... Causehe'smybabyandIlovehim.


	41. Mikasa Ackerman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Due to it being summer, I can now upload during the week! :D *Dances* Also, you'll notice some changes. First, the tags. I've decided that it's time to seriously update them, because I feel simply saying "trigger warning" in the summaries isn't working (Especially since I see that no one reads my blabbering). You're all here, so you've read the harshest of the story (Unless I decide to take it even further), so you know what to expect out of me, but no one new does. Next you'll notice that the comments are now being moderated. This has nothing to do with you guys, but people are posting some very vulgar comments. I can't really care for them, but there's a difference between harsh criticism and being a dick; there's just stuff there that people shouldn't be posting and shouldn't be seen, so they're being blocked. ^^ Like I said, it has nothing to do with you guys, just a little more security I should put it? Does that make sense?  
> Anyway, those are some things you'll notice. I'll get more tags up when I'm not falling asleep while writing this.
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 41: Mikasa Ackerman**

* * *

"Mikasa, how old were you when you were kidnapped?" Flagon asked.

The girl sat at the stand, back straight, hands in her lap, and eyes straight forward. She didn't dare glance at the man they were currently speaking of, but she wouldn't hold her head down. She wouldn't look away.

She had to do this.

"Fifteen." She answered, straight forward without hesitation.

"And how old were you when you had your first baby?" He questioned again.

He knew this topic was hard on her. He knew it was bordering a place she didn't want to go, having seen the previous effects it had on her. He'd seen her break down in practice, having to stop and take a moment, but she couldn't here. She had agreed to it. The girl knew of the struggles she'd have to endure, the battle she'd have to fight if it meant a safer future. She knew the measures, and here she was. Willing to stand up and fight. Keeping her head held high, chin up and eyes forward.

She was willing to fight until the end.

"I had just turned sixteen."

Her eyes glanced over to the jurors, looking for reactions. Two woman seemed morbidly disturbed by this news, and one man had a hand covering his mouth. Covering up his disgust possibly? She couldn't be sure. The others sat, stone faced and emotionless, but she knew they were simply keeping their expression minimal.

"Who was the father of your first child?"

"... E-Eren was." She hadn't meant that stutter, but thinking back to it brought back bad memories. It had been painful for both of them, but she wasn't sure who it had really hurt more.

"Are you alright to continue this topic?"

"Yes, I'm fine." She wouldn't let it beat her though. She had to do this.

"... You had stated in your testimony," Flagon began after hesitating, giving her a few quick seconds in case she needed to change her mind, but she didn't. He walked back to his table to pick up his folder, looking inside for the notes he'd collected months before. "That you were forced to have sex with him, and Armin as well. You lost your virginity, and even stated you ended up with an infection Dr. Jaeger treated on his own. Is that correct?"

"Yes sir."

"He never let you see a doctor. He always took care of you guys, but were any of you aware if the tools and medications he used to treat you were safe? You were stuck in a basement for two years after all."

"No, they weren't. Well, the tools he used… Weren't. I never saw him wash them, and they never looked very clean. I don't know much about medicine though, so whatever he gave us, we just took."

"You had no ideas as to what any of it could be?"

"I didn't care…" She replied with a frown. "If it eased the pain, or maybe ended my life, I would have been okay."

"One would think that the level of torture you put yourself through, and still managed to stay alive, is admirable."

"Your honor-"

"I'm simply stating that Mikasa decided against ending her own life, even after the loss of her children." Flagon interrupted the pastor before he could get any farther.

"I'll allow it for now. Watch your words, Flagon." Zackley warned and sat back in his seat. The man nodded to show his understanding before continuing.

"Now, Armin is the father of your second kid, right?"

"Yes."

"And it's already been stated as such that the same scenario happened, followed by the same consequences a year later. What happened to your kids, Mikasa?"

Black eyes shifted over towards Eren and Armin, silently pleading. She couldn't ask for their help, and she wouldn't. She had to hold them up. She always had, and yet she hoped that something, anything would happen so she didn't have to talk about this.

"... He took them away." She admitted regretfully.

"Where?"

"I don't know. I never even got to see them after I had them."

"And after that, the other _four_ times you were pregnant with random men's children," Flagon turned to the jury, expressing his words so they could really _hear_ what it was that had happened to her. "He beat you to a point you went into labor, at three, four months? Eren and Armin were the only two there to help you through that painful process. Mikasa, let me ask you something..."

The man stepped close again, setting the folder down in front of her, but she didn't bother to look at it. Her eyes burned with tears, her cheeks flaring. She knew what was coming. The question would come any minute, but this hadn't been asked of her yet.

"... What did you do with them after you lost them?"

She couldn't hide the small whimper in her throat that found its way out. Her eyes quickly darting to Levi, maybe out of a silent plea for protection. Her uncle looked so unfazed, so apathetic to the situation, but she knew better.

He'd been pissed, furious beyond cognizant recognition when Grisha even so much as mentioned her or her mother. He lashed out and tried to hurt him, or worse. Sometimes she wished he had. However, here he was, fighting back and remaining calm to be the thing that held her up, and she had believe in that.

Her vision was blurry with her tears, but she held back. She _had_ too.

"... Nothing." She answered, her voice shaking and unsteady. "He took them away... He always took them away... They were so tiny... Something told me maybe it was better that way."

"In a testimony given by Eren, after coming out about the incident, even he stated, word for word, that they didn't even look like babies. He said that, referring to how they hadn't even fully developed in the womb..." Their lawyer slowly walked back to his desk, fingers flittering through paper work. "Armin's statement was much the same, except he could clarify their ages, due to his careful keeping of time. Each child didn't even make it past four months, and due to the horrific trauma to her body, Mikasa is no longer capable of having kids."

He shared a glance over to Nick. He'd been relatively quiet, so he was waiting for something, anything to come from his mouth, but he'd been silent.

He was plotting. Planning. That was just how that man worked.

"Now Mikasa, you had said that Dr. Jaeger had given you a physical examination to prove this, but doctors at the hospital redid the tests to confirm his findings. Not only can you not have children, but if by chance you get pregnant, your life is heavily at risk. It can't carry the physical burden of carrying another life."

"... Yes sir." It hasn't really been a question, nor had it needed a response, but she felt the need to speak. The room was so quiet and dense when he didn't speak, and it was hard to breathe when all she could focus on was the situation at hand. It was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Is this why you later started working with woman? There's no chance getting pregnant by them."

"Yes sir." She responded.

"That must mean that Eren and Armin chose to sleep with men. There were no chances of getting anyone pregnant as well."

"That's right."

"No more questions, your honor." Flagon looked to the judge and said.

"Your witness, Nick." Zackley then said and motioned towards Mikasa. The man stood as Flagon took his seat, fixing the papers in front of him for better organization.

"Your honor. I'd like to state for the record that the information given out by Eren Jaeger of Mikasa's crude happenings were given when her was drunk with a blood alcohol content of point zero nine, also given under extreme circumstances that lead to false admission. His statements do not concede a point in his proceedings." Were the first words to come out of his mouth.

The brunette visibly cringe at that. He had long since forgotten that night when they brought Armin back. It was a mixture of his anxiety, but also being under the influence. He had been wanted that anything he had admitted that night no longer counted, and he was regretting it entirely.

This was his fault.

"The jury will disregard Mr. Flagon's statement." He knew Judge Zackely had no choice but to continue on as such. Those were the rules, but damn him for fucking that up.

"Mikasa, if I may ask..." Nick began and strode over smoothly towards the bench. "You can't get pregnant by women, but there is birth control. There's condoms and pills to use, and that goes for the boys as well. You didn't think of using those methods?"

"He wouldn't let me. Condoms and birth control were money we couldn't waste." She told him.

" _Couldn't_ or _wouldn't_?"

"Objection. Relevance to that?" Her lawyer interrupted.

"Sustained."

"Let me ask something else then. If it's all correct, Levi Ackerman, esteemed Captain of the police force, is your uncle, correct?"

"Yes, he is."

"It is also to my understanding that you didn't have the kindest of upbringings. Your parents unfortunately passed away when you were... Seven?"

"Eight." She corrected him.

"Right, my apologies. I'm terribly sorry to hear about that." No one could miss the short, but livid glare she shot at him. Of course he wasn't sorry. "So after they passed, you didn't go to live with him. At the time, Levi Ackerman himself was a drug addict struggling to find his way-"

"Your Honor-" Flagon began, but Zackley held up a hand.

"Do I need to call it a day, Pastor Nick?" He asked him.

"So sorry. The point remains that he was not around at the time you lost your family. Who took you in?"

"... Dr. Jaeger did." She admitted with a frown.

"That's right. He adopted you, gave you a home, fed you, and kept a roof over your head for the better part of your childhood. He enrolled you into a school with Eren even..." The man turned away for a moment, eyes looking over to Levi for the smallest of seconds before turning back. "He's never done anything to ever harm you. Never in his life had he hurt you until three years ago. Why do you think that is?"

"Objection. Relevance?" Flagon asked again with an irritated toss of his hand.

"Withdrawn." Pastor Nick responded with before Zackley could call it a day. "Mikasa, you said you had kids. How many had that been again?"

"Six..." Her voice shook with the lightest of tremors, fearing the conversation coming about again.

"But two of them lived, and they are Eren and Armin's children, correct?"

"Yes, but-" She tried to argue, but was cut short.

"And now they're with a family taking good care of them."

"But the others-"

"You had said so yourself that you didn't know who their fathers were. Just random children of random men, and you had said so yourself that it was better that way."

"I meant about-"

"So wasn't that just a little weight off your shoulders knowing that they were gone? The ones important to you are safe after all-"

"They were still my kids!"

Her outburst was loud enough to echo in the suddenly silent room. Her chair had screeched when she sat up, as if ready to lunge over the stand and go after him for saying such things; such vile, awful things, but she didn't. Whether it was her inner conscious or Flagon, no one was sure. However, they knew they were glad for it. She would have done it had it not been for his interruption.

"Your honor, he is badgering my witness!" He barked and slammed a hand down against the desk.

"That is enough of that!" Zackley's voice boomed over them, quickly destroying any arguments to be had between anyone. "This is not a school yard for whining children! I have warned you more than enough today, so this court is adjured until further notice!"

The gavel rang louder than Mikasa's outburst, and with it, tension suddenly seemed to dissipate. The bailiff walked the jury out of the room, witnesses stood, and Nick returned to his seat, seemingly proud of himself. Mikasa, however, stayed where she was. With her head down in the palms of her hands, she sat and shook, trying to calm herself.

She had let him win. He got the better of her by hitting her where it hurt the most, and it showed. She'd let it show, even after Erwin had told her not to. He told her to keep her head up in front of them, and she _broke_.

"I-I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." She trembled as she spoke, trying to bring herself together, but it was far too late. Tears were already falling from her eyes and landing on her shoes. Her cheeks, eyes, and nose a vibrant red hue. Her skin felt hot from embarrassment; it was rare that she cried, but to cry in front of other people she didn't know?

This was just too much.

She kept her head down; God forbid Grisha saw her cry. That wouldn't strengthen their case further, and she couldn't let that happen. That was the least she could do after such a fail.

"Mikasa..." Hanji's voice was soothing, but a shock. She hadn't even noticed everyone joining her at the stand until she looked up, seeing everyone around her with worried looks.

"I'm sorry..." She apologized to them profusely.

"Don't be. Nick was way out of line." Levi told her, his voice irritated and barely holding back a growl. He himself had been close to jumping Nick for a good punch.

"B-But I let him win."

"Don't even worry about that, sweetie." Hanji assured her and rubbed at her back.

"He's using cheap and rotten tricks to win this," Erwin interpreted. "He's trying to get the better of you guys on purpose. He's making Grisha look better."

"I'm sorry, you guys." Their lawyer suddenly spoke up after having been collecting his notes. "He's playing rough and you don't deserve that."

"It's not like we didn't expect it..." Armin mumbled, blue eyes looking down.

They knew it was coming, but they had forgotten that it would take a toll on them, physically and mentally.

"Nick is digging a grave though. If he keeps that up they'll assign a new lawyer to Grisha. It just depends what he's planning."

"Or he's trying to force a mistrial." Levi remarked coldly.

"W-What's that?" Eren questioned with a frown.

"If the jury can't come to a decision, the judge will have no choice but to call a mistrial. No one wins or loses, but that means Grisha walks a free man." Erwin explained.

"We can't let that happen! Armin exclaimed and forced his back up straighter.

"And we won't," Levi assured him and patted his shoulder, trying to talk him down. However, he kept his eyes on his niece watching her face for signs that the conversation would take too much from her. "We just have to present all of the evidence as it is."

"What can we do though?" Eren asked him. "What can we say that'll ensure it?"

"Nothing that you haven't told us already." Flagon told him. "You guys are doing fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write like I hate these characters and I want them to suffer, when in reality I actually love these precious children. Especially Armin. My perfect little baby.


	42. Eren Jaeger

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha! You thought we were done with the emotional trauma? Naaah~! We're just getting started, my friends! :D
> 
> No but seriously. Thank you all for being so patient. I made a post on tumblr explaining that this chapter has been rewritten three times now, but it's finally where I want it to be. Getting back into the groove of things means two other chapters have been written out as well! Hazzah! I'll be leaving for Japan the 18th this month, so I'm hoping to get both out before then. If not, definitely expect to see chapter 44 out afterwards. :)
> 
> Thanks for all of the support, guys!
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the day: Hard Carry
> 
> By: Got7 (I needed a good, kick ass song to describe Eren's mood. Got7 has got me covered!)

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

* * *

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 42: Eren Jaeger**

* * *

"How are you doing today?"

The rain pounded outside, pelting the window so hard some feared the rain would cave in the whole building. It hit so loud that their conversation was muted from a few feet away, but that was okay. It wasn't like they were talking about anything important, but they weren't supposed to speak to begin with. This alone was going to get them in trouble.

"I'm... Not so good today..." Eren answered quietly, his hand mindlessly rubbing his brace.

"How's your hand?" Levi asked him, leaning against the wall.

"It hurts really badly. Hanji took me to Nanaba a few days ago, so the stitches are gone..."

"And I thought your injuries were bad the first time..." Levi uttered, breathing in a heavy breath. "Twenty three stitches... You did a number on the muscles, huh?"

"I didn't mean to... I just really..." Eren's green eyes drifted to the floor, lost in thought.

The older man hadn't seen an expression like this since before his squad's murder, when Eren blacked out on him. Fearing the same situation as before, Levi shook his arm hastily while calling his name. Eren stared at him quizzically, almost as if he questioned the man's own mental wellbeing; well, at least he hadn't blacked out.

"It just hurts, and I didn't sleep last night. Flagon says he's gonna have me on the stand today..." The brunette looked to the floor again, his eyes staring off into space. "I don't think I can do it, Captain..."

"Hey, no one is forcing you." Levi told him sternly and touched his hand carefully. "You know the repercussions if you don't, so it's your choice. You want this over, Eren, so you have to end it yourself."

"I know that..." It came out sounding like a whine, an annoyed, teenage whine. Of course Levi was right, but why did he always need to be right? "... You'll be in there, right?"

"Every step of the way." Levi assured him quickly. He may not have been allowed to talk to him, but he'd be there for him if he ever needed it. "And you know if anyone tries to hurt you, Mikasa or Armin, I'll kill them. I'm good at hiding bodies."

His comment did well to bring a small, dry smile to Eren's face. It was a very minimal expression, but it was something. He wasn't apathetic to the situation, which Levi was grateful for. He'd rather be scared then nothing at all.

"Captain..." The man looked away to see Marlow coming towards them.

Today he was dressed as well, because he too was going to the stand. Today, if no interruptions from Nick were to occur, would be a long day. Last time two weeks ago had been cut short after Mikasa spoke out against Nick. The man got himself in trouble, but that wasn't the end. Oh no, that definitely wasn't the end. He had a lot more fight left in him, and he'd keep going until they won. It was just that simple for him.

"Morning, Marlowe..." Levi greeted and walked to his desk not far off to grab his coffee.

"Good morning, sir. Erwin says everyone is ready to head out. The judge and jury will be there soon." He relayed to the older man.

"Thanks, Marlowe…" He said and waved him off. Almost mechanically, the man left, leaving Eren and Levi alone in the office once more. So early in the morning, no one else was here besides all that were going to the court house. That consisted of the teens, Hanji, Erwin, Levi, and a few others. They'd meet Flagon at the court house, and sit and wait for the trial to start.

They had to wait.

Thinking about that made the officer look to Eren, questioning his mental health. The teen looked weakened after suddenly hearing that they'd leave. So long as he wasn't there, he was fine, but it was happening too fast. It was coming at him quickly, and he had no control over it. He couldn't stop it. Couldn't postpone it. He had no control over anything anymore, and he couldn't handle yet.

"Come on, Eren..." Levi said softly and reached for his hand.

The brunette hesitated, but knowing it was Levi's hand reaching out for him, that it was Levi's hand willing to guide him, was all the more reassuring.

Fear spread through him, and yet holding the older man's hand gave him just the tinniest bit of peace as they began walking out of the office.

* * *

"There's more today..." Mikasa mentioned while Levi sat behind her.

"More what?" He asked her. The teenager looked towards the stand where Zackley had yet to appear, eyes squinting questionably.

"More paparazzi..." She turned in her seat to look at him next, as if questioning something, but he had no idea what. "This trial is all over the news, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so..." He admitted regrettably. He didn't want to believe it himself, but the truth was right there in plain sight.

"They're allowed to do that?" The blonde beside her asked with a frown.

"Freedom of Press, unfortunately. We can't do anything against it."

Thankfully, all that was being written seemed to be in the kids favor. Sure, there were some articles that questioned the nature of the trial, but people had already began lining up outside the courthouse to be by their sides, signs in hands and chanting some gruesome things in Grisha's way. He knew this, because today, when the man was let inside, he bothered listening in and glancing at the signs.

At least they knew they weren't alone.

"All rise." The bailiff called out as the judge entered the room. They all did as told before he told them to sit again down, taking a seat himself at his bench.

"Good morning. Is everyone present?" He asked of the room.

"Both sides are present, your honor." Flagon told him, glancing over at the kids.

Eren shifted uncomfortably in his seat, knowing his time was coming. It would be here soon. It was just a matter of time.

"Alright then. Nick, you have the stand today." Zackley offered of the man. He still wasn't particularly happy with the behavior that happened two weeks prior, but the trail had to continue.

"Thank you, your honor. I'd like to call Eren Jaeger to the stand." The man announced.

The brunette's eyes instantly darted over to Flagon, panic written on his face and heart racing.

That wasn't supposed to happen. That wasn't what they were supposed to do. Flagon was supposed to call him first. Nick shouldn't have had his eyes on him yet. Not yet.

"Mr. Jaeger?" Zackley asked when he saw a frozen Eren glued to his seat. "Are you ready to take the stand?"

The teen very nearly shook his head to respond before the pastor beat him to it.

"Your honor, my client was forced into taking multiple tests to judge his mental stability, but has his son even gone through any?" He asked and motioned to the brunette. "How do we know he's mentally capable enough to handle trial if he can't even get up to answer questions?"

"Eren...?" Armin whispered, hand reaching over to find his hand. Eren shook his head and pulled away. For a moment the blonde feared he was about ready to get up and run out of the court room, but by managed to stay where he was, petrified by fear.

"Can we even really trust anything that comes out of him if he himself is not mentally stable? Your honor, if his clients aren't prepared, then this trial should be postponed until they can withstand it."

Eren swallowed a lump in his throat. No, no more postponing. If they did, that was just the beginning to Grisha's freedom, to a mistrial. He couldn't let that happen.

"No...!" He suddenly blurted out. The outburst had all eyes on him, to which he shrunk back in his seat, green eyes falling to the floor. "I-I'm fine. I can do it."

"Are you sure, Mr. Jaeger?" Zackley asked with a worried frown.

"Yes sir." He told him.

"Eren..." Mikasa spoke softly, but the teen slowly made his way to the stand, eyes down and head hung low.

He couldn't do it. The man was sitting right there and looking at him. He was _there,_ and he couldn't breathe knowing he was right there.

Eren's eyes cast away in the direction towards the doors. All he had to do was change his plan and run, but his legs seemed to carry him to the stand regardless of his thoughts of fleeing.

He sat down, head still low, but looked up to seek out comfort. He spotted Levi still sitting behind his family, arms crossed over his chest, regarding him with a protective look.

That's right. If Levi was there, he wouldn't let anything happen to him. To them. He was going to protect him.

He promised.

"Good morning, Eren. How are you today?" Nick asked as he began walking over to the stand where he was. The teen looked at him, but he didn't answer. His lips were sealed tight as he tried to fight a scowl.

Was he mocking him? Was he just messing with him when it was obvious he wasn't okay? He didn't like this man at all.

"I asked you a question, Mr. Jaeger."

"Your honor, what does that have to do with the case?" Flagon interrupted him.

He knew what the pastor was doing, and he couldn't let it happen. For all of his fear, Eren was still a defiant teen. Nick was trying to show the jury that, to show he wasn't going to respond lightly, but he couldn't do that. Eren _had_ to answer the questions with as little or no annoyance as possible. He had to answer like they had practiced, even if it wasn't Flagon asking the questions for him.

"I was simply breaking the tension." The pastor spoke like he had done nothing wrong.

"It is too early in the morning for this, gentlemen." Zackley told them, his hand rubbing the bridge of his nose at their childish acts. "Mr. Jaeger, please answer the question and continue." He asked of him.

Eren frowned, green eyes watering as he looked to the floor.

He had to give in.

"... Fine." He muttered in defeat.

He hated this.

The man nodded his head while moving towards the jury, their eyes on the two of them in apathy.

"Eren, when you and Mikasa were taken in by the police force, you had tried breaking out, hadn't you?" Nick asked, jumping right into it.

"Y-Yes, but-"

"Hadn't you?" Nick interrupted. Eren swallowed, hands shaking.

"... Yes."

"After the first attempt to take you and your family in quietly, you and Mikasa very nearly killed Officer Levi Ackerman, her uncle no less. Isn't that right?"

"Yeah, but we-"

"Mikasa had poisoned Dr. Hanji Zoe, which had put her in the hospital for a week. You had taken Captain Levi's badge and threatened to do worse to him if he came back. Him, in a pool of his own blood, barely conscious and in need of medical attention after she'd struck him over the head with a metal lamp post, because you tried to have sex with him. You stated, and I quote..." The man held a paper up to read from, a report written long ago. _"'You better be careful, Officer Levi Ackerman. Our boss doesn't like it when his best are messed with.'"_

He looked to the teen coldly.

"You refer to your father as your boss?"

Eren's lips parted, but he couldn't answer. He didn't know how. He had been taught how to answer certain questions, but not these. This had been half a year ago. He didn't even remember any of it, having blocked out most of those memories to keep his sanity.

"Answer the question, Mr. Jaeger." The judge spoke.

Wait, that had been a question?

"Y-Yes..." He answered shakily.

"Since when did he go from a father to your boss?"

"H-He said that's what he is." His voice cracked in response.

"But Eren, if you've been waiting for him to be a dad again, to be your father like you have, why on earth would you indulge in his diluted fantasies? Especially when he was suffering from a mental breakdown and currently barely stable as it is?"

Eren tried to speak, but all that came out was an odd sound that sounded distinctly like he was choking. How was he supposed to answer that?

"When the late Petra Ral and Oluo Bozado came to take you into custody, you told Armin to run. You told him to, because you were told to leave behind your family, which he did. You spat in Officer Ackerman's face, and later nearly killed him with a pillow over his head while he slept."

Levi's eyes darted towards Erwin, silently cursing under his breath. Erwin had said he'd leave that out of the report, so how in the hell did Nick find out?

"Mr. Jaeger, you keep saying he had done all of this to you, that for years and years _you_ were the one trapped with no way out, but your actions speak something completely different. Are you saying he's done all this to you or are you just going along with it?"

Eren shook his head and looked down, eyes staring into his lap, as if he'd find the answers there. That was a question directed towards him, but he didn't know how to answer it. Of course he was trying to run from him. After all he had done? Yes, he was, but that was his father. He couldn't go against him. He couldn't argue or fight with him. The fact that he was even fighting against him now had him taking in shallow breathes, small sounds like whimpers leaving him that were amplified by the microphone only a few inches from him.

He wanted to answer. He needed to answer. If he proved himself mentally unstable, Nick would threaten a mistrial. He just knew it, and yet he found himself shaking in place, trying to distance himself and stay out of this.

He had been right. He couldn't do this.

"Mr. Jaeger, please answer the question." Nick went on.

"R-Running…" Eren uttered.

"Your honor, at this time I'd like to ask for a recess." Flagon stood and announced. "Clearly my client needs a moment to gather himself."

"Your client doesn't seem functional enough to even keep his head up let alone answer simple questions." The pastor intoned with a frown. "He even has a brace on his hand to show for his problems with self-harm, and it is no secret that Miss Ackerman has scars littering her arms that have accumulated over the years."

Eren's head tilted, looking past his bangs to see his sister leaning back in her chair. Her hands came up and held her arms, as if hiding herself.

How dare he go after her like that? How dare he mention her scars when she wasn't even the one sitting at the stand? He'd pulled a nasty stunt when he talked about her children, _his_ child, but how dare he point out something she herself couldn't fully reveal without a guilty conscious?

"How can we even trust the words of someone who has been in the hospital for self-inflicted injuries three times within the past six months? They say that cutting isn't attempted suicide, just a coping mechanism, but how can we be sure?"

"Objection, your honor!"

"Withdrawn. Mr. Jaeger, is that what biting is to you?" Nick stepped up to the stand and placed a hand on the counter, eyeing the teenager who hadn't brought his head up in a very long time. His breathing looked uneven, trembling shoulders barely keeping still. "Is biting your hand a coping mechanism? Or are you really trying to call attention to yourself?

"... No sir," Eren swallowed, head lifting and green eyes glaring practical daggers at the man standing in front of him. His lips were pulled into a tight frown, but the barest hint of his teeth showed between them, almost as if he were growling at the man under his breath. Nick had the right idea when he looked taken aback. "I'm trying to cope with the idea that you're trying to mess with my sister and my friend's heads and hurting them. I'm trying to keep myself together and be strong so they don't have to, but you aren't making it easy for me."

Levi could say that this was the first time in a very long time he had seen Eren look so fired up. He hadn't seen such a look of resentment since they had first brought him to the station, after separating him from Mikasa and Armin. He had hated him so much back then, and the look of his face back them bared a striking resemblance to the one he wore right now.

Nick was really asking for it.

"Your honor, he is badgering my witness!" Flagon objected once more.

"Nick, take a seat." Zackley said, but not without a warning tone.

So thrown off by Eren's sudden change in attitude, the man did as told, but only to step back away from him. When the teen got angry, he had a good way about showing off the intent to kill, very similar to Mikasa. He could feel the pure hatred emanating off of him, and to say it was scary was an understatement. It was downright terrifying.

"We'll be taking a thirty minute recess." The judge suddenly accounted and tossed his gavel into the padding. Eren jumped at the sound, seemingly startling out of the small bout of anger he'd been in. He took a deep, shuddering breath and sat back, green eyes looking over to the others.

Mikasa and Armin were mumbling something to each other, too far away to make out what they were saying. Hanji and Erwin were speaking with Flagon, a worried look on the woman's face, but Levi sat back, relaxed almost, with a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

The older man nodded over towards him, as if showing his approval. Not for the anger; no, not that, but standing up for his family. It had just dawned on him that Nick never gave anyone the chance to talk about them as a family, leaving Eren to be the first, and he had let him have it good.

This was good. This meant the jury didn't see him as some crazy teenager, but someone simply devoted to his family. Someone who would do whatever it takes to protect them.

At least, that was their hope.


	43. Levi Ackerman

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohhh my god you guys. We've finally reached the chapters I've so desperately wanted to get to! I was so pumped for this one I wanted to upload it during the week, but I know better. Y_Y
> 
> Anyway, guys, the comments last chapter made me tear up. Seriously, you people are so incredibly supportive, and that means so much to me. I'm so glad so many of you really think so highly of this story, and that it means so much to you guys. I really want to finish it now as my thanks, even though we've got a ways to go. Either way, thank you guys for being there for this story. We're now two years in. Welp. Another two years more.*Sniffles* This also means though that I now know that I cannot scare any of you off. You're all here, and you're all staying. I can't do anything to make you stop reading.
> 
> Challenge accepted.
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 43: Levi Ackerman**

* * *

"They really chewed him out."

A puff of smoke left Levi's lips as he spoke, a mixture of cold air and nicotine. He hadn't smoked a cigarette in years it felt like. Maybe it had been. It'd been too hectic to keep track of time, and a cigarette was the least of his concerns. Right now, his main focus was Eren.

They'd taken their recess as promised. Thirty minutes went by too fast, and now they were back in there, all with the exception of him and Hanji. He needed to breathe fresh air, and Hanji needed to be away from the room. It didn't show, but the anger Nick caused within her was bubbling. Any longer in there and she would have lost it, and it was hard to calm Hanji when she was furious.

He knew this first hand

"We need to get them a support dog. We can't be up there with them when they speak, but maybe a dog will help calm their nerves." The woman spoke softly, her breathing even and brown eyes closed behind her glasses. She was working to calm down, which was good. It wasn't often she had to take time for herself, but that's why they were out there. Hidden away in the back of the building by an old dumpster. No way could they go out front where paparazzi were waiting with cameras, microphones, and questions to drive them insane. That was a suicide mission they weren't ready to go on.

This was their only safe haven for the time being, despite the disgusting smell.

"At least Eren is done for the day." Levi said while bringing the cigarette back to his lips to inhale.

"But he's not finished. They'll be back up on that stand, having to deal with Nick." Hanji murmured and looked at him. "It's sad to say that Eren didn't do so well up there."

"Spitfire brat…" The older man uttered. "He just has to be rebellious now of all times."

"I think next to biting his hand, which he knows he can't do in that court room, his rebellious side is another coping technique of his. It hides his fears, his worries, and his problems."

"Well you need to make him stop. He's going to get in trouble doing that." Levi told her and stomped out the cigarette.

"Come on, Levi. In the end, you and I both know we can't really make him do anything." Hanji told him and stood up from the wall. "Eren's has do it himself, or this will never end."

"Remind him then." The man said and began walking back to the door.

"I can," She responded, though it sounded like a weak argument. "I can't make any promises though."

"And why not?"

Hanji stepped closer to him as they walked, giving him a side long smirk.

"Cause they're your kids." She told him. At least the playful banter was back between the two, but there wasn't much he could argue with.

Mikasa definitely got it from his side of the family. He and his sister were like this, and she definitely got it from them. Somewhere along the way, Eren must have picked up the behavior, only simply making it his own. That made him an Ackerman, whether he knew it or not.

Or maybe Eren had always been like that. Levi didn't know Eren before this and never heard any stories from Mikasa when she was a kid, so thinking that this was Eren's usual behavior was slightly odd in a way. He wasn't used to the idea of it at all.

* * *

The building was quiet for the most part. Well-dressed business people walked around them, going about their day like the court room nearby wasn't trying the most difficult case the country had seen in a few years. Their footsteps were considerably loud as they paced through the building, trying not to run, and yet they needed to get back.

"You think Erwin is done testifying yet?" Hanji asked, slightly breathless.

"Hopefully not. I'm supposed to be next so long as Nick doesn't pull any shit." Levi explained. Hanji scoffed beside him, but when he looked in her direction, there was a smug smirk on her face.

"Then you're fucked."

"You're a comical genius." He retorted as they closed in on the court room. They slowed to a stop, giving themselves a moment to collect themselves before stepping in quietly.

A few sets of eyes looked their way before putting their attention back to the situation at hand. Currently, Erwin was sitting, being interrogated by the pastor with grueling questions. Erwin was a man of firm resolution and iron-will though, never backing down. He was a man who was able to distance himself from emotions when the time was needed, and that time was needed now as the man in front of him grilled him over and over again.

Levi could have cringed if he weren't taking a seat behind the kids. Some of the questions, if not all of them, were utterly ridiculous. Thankfully, Erwin was also a man of the law. He followed everything by code, so there was nothing, absolutely _nothing_ that they could get him on.

"You can step down now, Mr. Smith." Zackley told the blonde.

Erwin nodded his head before stepping down from the stand and taking his seat back with Levi. He looked over to the older man, as if silently telling him good luck. He was going to need it if Nick was going to question him like he'd done Erwin. He could be distant as well, but if he started pulling dirty tricks like he did with the kids, lord help him.

"Your honor, I'd like to call Captain Levi Ackerman to the stand."

Well, that certainly wasn't supposed to happen.

The older man frowned, eyes looking over to Flagon in concern. Nick wasn't supposed to have his turn with him just yet, but here he was calling him first, just like he'd done with Eren. Obviously he was here for a battle, a battle he intended to fight until the bitter end.

Well, he was going to get one.

"Captain…" Eren whispered worriedly, but a harsh glare from Erwin made him turn back in his seat. Levi stood and moved to the stand, pretending he hadn't heard the tone of fear in Eren's voice or see the looks of distress on the teen's faces.

Distant. He had to be distant. He didn't think that'd be so hard with his niece in front of him, or with Eren and Armin looking in his direction.

"How are you doing today, Captain Ackerman?" Nick asked him as he went about sorting through files at his desk beside Grisha.

"Fine." He responded casually.

Don't give into him. That'd only let him win. He'd fucked up once, and the result was Mikasa's poor mental state. He couldn't let her down again.

"Captain Levi Ackerman, you, along with Commander Erwin Smith are two of the most esteemed in your precinct. Along with him, you've been awarded multiple times by the city, having received medals for your bravery and valor." Nick began as he walked towards him, files in hand. "You've had the honor of thirty three arrests all on your own. Your team, who unfortunately passed away late into the year last year, managed all together fifteen heavily armed drug busts, and managed to take down a fortified gang deep within the cities underground trading routes."

"That's correct…" Levi assured, eyes blinking lazily.

Mentioning his team was just the start of this, wasn't it?

"You, Erwin Smith, and many talented men and woman took to saving Armin Arlert from being gang raped. Erwin took a bullet to the arm for him, and you single handedly saved Armin Arlert from being shot." The man continued. "Captain Ackerman, these are incredibly impressive feats that not many have the pleasure of accumulating even around the time they retire. You were given the nickname "Humanities Strongest" within the precinct, not by just your coworkers, but by people within the city. Criminals fear you and fear being caught by you."

"I highly doubt that." Levi said.

"And why is that?"

"Well if it were true, no one would do anything and I'd be out of the job." He told the man.

"Yes, well, it is a noble thing you do."

"Your honor-" Flagon began, but Zackley beat him to it.

"Please, move on to the point, Pastor Nick." He said, more of a warning than an order.

"While I say all of your incredible achievements, Mikasa Ackerman had the unfortunate displeasure of this hardship in her life. She wasn't able to bring herself to the height of her potential. She's also your niece, born of her late mother and father. Your sister, correct?"

"Yes," The older man answered.

"With that being said, it's obvious you couldn't work on the case. That would contradict your case to save these three teens, so you were taken off of it." Nick moved a paper out of the way, looking at something, though Levi didn't know what, with interest. "However, due to the need of your talents, you were put back on the case, so long as you didn't come into contact with Miss Ackerman or speak of her. You took Eren in as a means of keeping him out of a cold prison cell, and Hanji Zoe, the precinct's well renowned doctor in phycology, took your niece in. It was only a week later, however, that you were suddenly taken off of it again."

Levi's breathing suddenly hitched.

He knew where this was going.

"Without any rhyme or reason, you were suddenly taken off. Your reports stopped only a day after Armin was safely brought back and in the hospital, and Eren was then staying with Dr. Zoe, where Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert stayed. After that, there are no reports that refer to you in any way, but there is no mention as to why you suddenly stopped working on the case. It doesn't say if you had resigned from the case willingly or if something became a conflict. So inform us, Captain Levi, as to why you stopped working the case."

Levi's eyes met Eren's in an instant, seeing the color drain from his face in seconds.

That's right. Erwin hadn't put anything of what had transpired that night into the reports. He just suddenly up and left the case, put on probation, and worked at his desk for months on end. He didn't come into contact with the teen (As far as any of them knew), so there was nothing written about himself. It hadn't been explained, and Nick saw the hole in the reports right from the get-go. That's why he called him up. That's why he took the chance to do it before Flagon could. He needed to do it before Flagon could make him look good, even after listing off all of his achievements.

All of his medals wouldn't get him anywhere if the truth came out.

"Captain Ackerman?" Nick called out to him.

Levi looked down to his lap for a moment, his mind rushing with possible answers. All he could come up with though made no sense. Anything simple, easy to use, would have been put in the report. He couldn't make it worse, for then they'd question why he had a job in the first place, or why Erwin didn't fire him, which would be exactly what happened if he spoke.

He couldn't create some convoluted story in his mind that would cover his ass, not right now when all eyes were on him. He was already stalling, already buying time. He was making himself look bad simply taking this long to answer.

He didn't know what to say. He couldn't come out with the truth. He just couldn't. If he did, Zackley would deem everything a mistrial, and Grisha would go free. Eren, Mikasa and Armin would have no protection against him, and more than likely would they be hurt by him again. He needed to protect them, but how? What could he say? What could he do that could get him past this situation?

"Captain, please answer the question." Nick said in a less then pleasing manner.

Levi looked over to Hanji, as if she'd have answers, but for all of her calm demeanor, he could see the worry etched in her eyes. Hanji, Eren and Mikasa all knew where this was going, and by the looks on the teen's face, they were just as worried. Armin, however, seemed more confused than worried.

Oh lord. Did he even know? Did Eren ever bother to tell him about the night they spent together, or what happened afterwards? Armin had been so out of it that he probably wouldn't have made heads or tails of the situation then, but he was completely lucid now. What would his reaction be, he wondered, if he were to find out then and there. It wouldn't be good, that was for sure.

"Answer the question, Captain." The lawyer warned him.

The officer looked to Erwin, silently pleading, begging him to give him something to answer, or at least some distraction to give him time to form an answer. However, when searching those blue eyes for answer's, they closed, and Erwin nodded his head.

Was he being serious? Did he really want to admit to the pastor, to Grisha's lawyer, to the whole world watching this on TV right now that he slept with Eren? Was he really expecting him to come out and say it, no questions asked? Erwin knew better than anyone that, if he spoke the truth, it would be all over. Admitting to it was admitting to defeat, so why? Why was Erwin telling him to say it?

He must have had something planned. He had to have. If not, then everything they worked for, the hard months put into the case would be for nothing.

He had to trust him. Just one more time he had to trust him. Erwin was always right, always five steps ahead of everyone, so whatever it was he had planned in that thick skull of his, it had to be the answer to his concerns.

"Captain Ackerman." Nick said in a final warning.

"Captain, if you don't answer the question, I am going to have to hold you in contempt." Zackley said, but not without some guilt. He knew Levi, trusted Levi and his skills, so he didn't want to do anything to the man. If he didn't answer though, he had no choice but to do it. By law he had to, whether they were acquaintances or not.

Levi had to answer. He had to protect the kids, _his_ kids, and he couldn't do that behind bars. He needed to see out their safety, and he needed to do it himself.

"Captain-" The pastor began, but Levi beat him to it.

"I slept with Eren."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beta Readers Comments: (NOOOOOOOO! Won't somebody think of the children! Starts thinking of Eren. Eren and Levi. Eren and levi without clothes. Eren and Levi without clothes writhing o… STOPH IT! Ahem…Good chapter. I didn't realize it was a short one, so that means the flow is great! Just a few word changes with this one. You should name the support dog Holt as a nod to Voltron and make it a giant golden retriever to add a nod toMEEE! -_-v)


	44. Giving Up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if anyone would like to see pics or videos of Japan, you can visit my tumblr. I'll be posting here and there of where my friend and I plan to go. Other than that, remember that there will be no update next week, but the following week. Have a wonderful day! See you all soon. ^_^

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 44: Giving Up**

* * *

There were equally shared gasps from both jury and witnesses. The loudest came from Pastor Nick, who seemed more outraged then surprised. He knew there was something behind his absence of the case, he just didn't know what, and now, not only him, but the whole world knew of it.

"This is outrageous!" He hollered, a finger pointing within his direction as Levi tucked his head down. He felt eyes burning into him, piercing him, hating him. He really messed up this time. "An officer sleeping with a supposed victim? With a prostitute? How could such a thing even be covered up?"

The jury, no longer poker faced, began sharing looks, exchanging small whispers with one another, even though they weren't supposed to. The audience were doing the same, and soon the utterly quiet room echoed with harsh judgment.

"I'm calling for a mistrial immediately!" Nick ordered, but the gavel hit loudly, silencing everyone in the room.

"That is enough!" Zackley boomed, and from where he sat, Levi felt like he could feel the vibrations of the man's voice through his seat. "Bailiff, get the jury out of here! This court is adjourned until further notice! Councilors, in my chambers, now!"

Just knowing he'd betrayed the trust of one person was enough. Looking up to see the sullen looks on everyone's faces made his heart settle in his stomach.

The look on Armin's face wouldn't be forgotten. At first he looked surprised, and who wouldn't be? Shock overtook the small moment of surprise, and after that, the hurt settled in. His head fell, and while Levi couldn't see that far, he could barely make out the deep frown on his lips, his blue eyes becoming glassy with tears he refused to shed.

He really hadn't known.

The blonde suddenly stood from his seat, and before anyone could stop him, he ran from the table.

"Armin...!" Eren called out to him, but the teen ran from the room. Naturally he followed with Mikasa not far behind, quick to chase him down and make sure he didn't do anything stupid. Levi felt now was a good time to do the same, because he really didn't trust any of them at this point in time to not do somethings stupid. Especially Eren.

Levi quickly stood and left as people began filing out of the room, but not before sending a glare Erwin's way. Yes, he'd said it, but he shouldn't have. He shouldn't have listened to Erwin. Looking back on it, he should have risked being put in jail rather than admitting to sleeping with Eren. Maybe then the trail wouldn't be over.

Maybe then Grisha wouldn't go free.

The older man walked outside the room, and he was quick to find the three teens. It wasn't hard to with Armin's sudden cry of "don't touch me," towards the brunette or Mikasa's voice as she tried to calm him down.

"No, I won't calm down!" He argued and rubbed at his eyes. He was furiously trying to keep it together.

"A-Armin, I'm so-" Eren began, but the blonde refused to let him apologize.

"How could you do that, Eren? W-Why would you? When did it even happen?"

"It was months ago! Way before he was even brought to the station!"

" _When_ , Eren? I asked _when_?"

"Armin, that's not import-"

"Don't give me that bullshit, Eren!" Hearing the smaller teen cuss at him was actually startling to say the least. Levi couldn't help but stand by, listening to their heated argument. "It is important! When did you sleep with him?"

"I-... It happened after you were in the hospital..." The brunette admitted weakly.

"You mean after Levi brought me to the station?" Armin's voice cracked with the admission, understanding that the night he'd been taken in was the night Eren had slept with him.

Months. Eren hadn't told him for months about this happening between the two. Almost half a year even.

"I-I was scared, Armin, and I didn't think I could ask that of you-"

"How could you ever think I wouldn't do that for you?" The teen asked him. "You just went behind my back and slept with Mikasa's uncle!"

"I didn't know what to do!"

At this point, Levi knew that he had to step in. They were getting too loud, and information like this wasn't supposed to be shared outside of the court room.

"You could have come to me, Eren! You didn't need to sneak behind our backs and hide this from us!" A stray tear finally managed its way down his cheek, but he kept fighting, hoping somehow he could make sense of this.

"Behind _our_ backs?" Eren asked in a shaky tone. Armin looked to Mikasa, hoping she'd speak up against Eren's behavior, but she didn't look deterred by the news of it. She didn't even look upset, but when their eyes met, she looked away, as if guilty of something he didn't know.

That's when realization dawned on him.

"... Did you know about it?" He asked, the flood gates breaking and allowing the tears he'd been fighting to finally flow freely.

Mikasa turned her head down, a morbid frown on her face. She couldn't even answer him at this point. She didn't want to break his heart, but just hearing that she knew about what happened months ago, that she never bothered to _tell_ him, was enough to ruin him.

Blue eyes wandered towards Levi, noticing the solemn expression. Hanji and Erwin were walking in their direction as well, and even they seemed aware of the situation. He looked back at his family, hoping, _praying_ , that this was some sort of terrible joke, but no one was laughing.

"... Am I the only person who doesn't know?" He asked, his voice quivering. No one responded, but he got his answer.

Armin shook his head, a disapproving gesture before turning away. He began walking, because staying here any longer was going to make him do something he was going to regret doing.

"Armin...!" Eren called after him and grabbed his wrist.

He was quickly met with a slap across the face, so sudden in fact that he hadn't had the chance to catch his footing and fell to the floor. He hadn't ever anticipated an action like that coming from Armin, and yet it happened, and here he sat with a hand to his cheek, wide eyed and startled like he'd just seen a ghost.

"Eren!" Mikasa dropped next to him and rubbed at his shoulder, trying to coax him up, but he wasn't moving. None of them even heard Levi as he yelled from where he stood, but it was the last thing on their minds.

"E-Eren..." Armin mumbled, seemingly just as startled that he had done it, the sting in his hand a painful reminder. He'd hit him hard enough to leave a red hand print forming on his cheek even. Seeing it somehow brought him out of his fit of anger, but it was already too late. He'd done something he regretted terribly. "I'm... I'm sorry, I-"

"Hey!" Levi barked as he rushed up on them. Armin quickly frowned, remembering why in the first place he was angry.

"I don't want to talk to you!" He growled and tried walking away, but again a hand grabbed at his wrist. This time, however, the grip was crushing and pulling him back before he could react.

"I'm not giving you a choice!" Levi yanked him back hard, but the blonde's clumsy footing managed to have him on the floor next to Eren.

That was probably not the brightest idea.

"Don't do that to him!" Eren suddenly barked at him. Levi jumped back at the tone, letting go of the teen who seemed scared. He'd momentarily forgotten that Armin was a victim as well, and as such, there were just some things he couldn't do to him. Pulling him to the floor made him recoil instantly, hands covering his head in fear.

He'd forgotten, and now he'd scared them both.

Eren sat back, trying to touch the blonde's shoulder, but Armin jerked away from his touch.

"Armin..." Eren mumbled, but he didn't seem to be listening. If he was, he wasn't giving a sign that he was going to respond. He kept his head hidden between his legs and hands shielding himself, hiding from the world.

"Everyone needs to calm down," Hanji spoke up as they came close.

"Levi, you need to step back." Erwin ordered him. They'd already gotten in enough trouble. He didn't need to add any more to it.

"Armin, sweetie, are you okay?" Hanji asked as she kneeled down next to him. Armin's head shook, a clear indicator that he was listening.

"I'm sorry..." Eren whimpered, trying to reach out to him again, but he knew better. He couldn't touch the teen when he was like this. "Shit, I'm sorry... This is so messed up..."

"It's going to be okay, Eren." Erwin assured him and kneeled down beside them, holding out a hand for Mikasa to take up. "Listen, we'll fix this. Once we get back in there, we'll talk to Fla-"

"No! No more!" He suddenly yelled and stood up.

"Eren-" Mikasa said, but was cut short.

"No, I'm done! No more court! No more talking! I'm done with this shit!" He took a few steps back when Levi tried to touch his arm, the arm with his brace on. "I can't take it anymore!"

"Eren, we can't just end it here." Hanji told him.

"Well you are doing it without me! I don't care if it's a mistrial or not anymore! Let him go! I don't care! I'm not doing any of this anymore!"

Once he felt like he had gotten the point across, Eren bolted. He didn't look back as they called out for him and ran for the exit, just wanting to be as far away from there as possible.

"Eren, don't go out there!" He couldn't tell whose voice that was. Maybe it was Hanji's, or maybe Mikasa's. It didn't matter.

He burst through the door, his breathing labored, only to startle the paparazzi that had been impatiently waiting for them to come out. He had forgotten them, and in no time was he bum rushed by their questions and comments.

The questions all pertained to his sleeping with Levi. How had they know?

He'd forgotten the cameras in the court room. Not only did the press know about this, but now the whole world knew. It was no secret that Levi and him slept together, and the questions kept coming.

When did it happen?

Why did you do it?

What will happen now that this information has come about?

He was dizzy with the sudden onslaught, his breathing shallow as flashes of light shined in his face. People were pushing into him, free from guards who'd gone inside without anyone to protect. He felt cornered, both physically and mentally. He couldn't get a word out to make them stop, even when he felt like he was already yelling at them. He couldn't hear his own voice over their own, microphones pushed towards his face.

He begged for them to step back, begged for them to stop asking him questions. He couldn't _breathe_ and yet they wouldn't leave him alone.

"Get back!" A hand grabbed at him from behind and pulled. He vaguely recognized the voice as Levi's, but he could only register that it was the officer trying to get him out of the crowd before the world spun, and everything went black.


	45. The Other Side of the Fence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After coming back from Japan, all I wanted to do was update this chapter, guys. I'm super excited to keep this going while I've got a good grip on things. I couldn't even wait until Saturday! It had to be now, while I'm wide awake and stuck on another timezone. :)
> 
> Enjoy, and thank you for waiting!
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 45: The Other Side of the Fence**

* * *

"He'll be okay then…?"

Seeing Eren's limp form in a hospital bed was too much.

It had been hours since the incident at the court house. Eren was quickly rushed to the emergency room where Nanaba looked over him, but the rush was overwhelming. The adrenaline had spiked, but then depleted rapidly. Everyone was weary, tired, and broken, simply waiting to hear from the woman.

When she came out, the only ones to rush to her were Mikasa and Armin, heavily worried for their family. Levi was slouched over a hospital bench, feeling utterly drained. He had little to no energy left to rush, but stood regardless to follow them, keeping a distance from Armin. The blonde was still utterly livid with him, and now was not the time to try to patch things up.

Nanaba assured them that it was a fainting spell. Much like Armin's situation months back, the stress of the trial finally took its toll on him. The paparazzi were of no help, and neither was the sudden admission that, to their unfortunate dismay, she now knew of.

It was everywhere. The news of what Levi had done had made national headlines. There was nowhere they could go without being hounded by people, and in Levi's case, cussed out and called terrible names.

Well, he had been called worse.

Nanaba had been watching, making sure the children were alright when the sudden admission happened. She knew, but she was managing a professional air about herself. One wouldn't know how she felt about it, because she wouldn't speak of it. She wouldn't involve her personal feelings into her work, per her work ethic, and silently Levi thanked her from the bottom of his heart.

He needed that right now. A nonjudgmental person to keep a calm head and take everything in with a grain of salt.

"He's going to be okay…" She answered and set a clipboard down in the cubby of Eren's bed. "I'm having him stay overnight though. I want to make sure he doesn't try anything stupid."

"Thank you," Hanji spoke gratefully. The woman nodded her head before stepping away, leaving the two adults to themselves. Levi heard the brunette beside him sigh, he himself letting out one as relief took over. The adrenaline rush was over, and now he felt he could take a moment to breathe, to really let things settle in knowing that Eren was okay.

"… Levi," Hanji began, but he lifted a hand, stopping her.

"Don't." He said. Hanji didn't continue, knowing there was more that needed to be said. Oh yes, a lot more, but he needed to speak first. "I don't want to talk about it. Not right now anyway. Right now… We just need to get the kids set up."

"Set up…?" She questioned, confused.

"The case is over, Hanji." He said, taking a seat in the chair beside Eren's bed. He looked at the soft expression on his face, so deep into sleep, but he still looked troubled. Even subconsciously he couldn't rest. "Grisha is going free. What we need to do now is find a place for the kids to stay, somewhere safe where no one knows them, and somewhere where Grisha or any of his partners can't find them."

"I mean… It hasn't been decided yet." Hanji mumbled dejectedly.

"Hanji…" Levi breathed her name in a berating manner. "I slept with a victim in our case. It was covered up by Erwin, the commander of the station. Unfortunately it's not just me going down anymore… But I'm not concerned about that right now." He reached forward and brushed Eren's bangs from his face.

They'd gotten so long, but he'd noticed long ago. Eren was declining right in front of him.

"My biggest concern is keeping Eren, Mikasa and Armin safe. I won't be able to do that anymore, but someone else can. We need to find a safe place for them, and soon, before the chief comes in and says we're fired."

"That could be any minute now." She admitted gravely. It wasn't just over Levi and Erwin's heads. She knew about it too, although she didn't know it had never been reported. Because of this, she would surely get in trouble. She herself could lose her job. None of them would be surprised if the whole station was suddenly shut down, and everyone would lose their jobs.

They'd messed up so bad. This was the end, and they knew it. Hanji admired that Levi was still thinking of the kids despite the morbid situation, even if it wouldn't do anything for the case. He'd come back to himself on a later date, but right now, they were the most important thing. Grisha would be free, and that meant he could see them whenever he wanted to.

Would they just allow it? After all the fighting they'd done against him, would they fall right back into his hands?

Something told the both of them that, while Mikasa and Armin would still fight, Eren would give in. It was in his nature not to fight his father. He was his father after all, and if Eren gave in, Mikasa and Armin would follow. They were attached to the hip, refusing to let Eren go down alone. If he went down, then so did they. That was how they worked as a family.

"Hanji, take Mikasa and Armin home. Get them to bed." Levi told her. "They need their rest."

"What about you?" She asked. Levi shrugged his shoulder, his hands moving to his pockets as he stood up.

"I need to clear my head a bit. Figure things out." He told her. Hanji nodded her head in understanding. She knew he needed time.

"Alright…" The woman stepped to the doorway, prepared to leave, but stopped just shy of the hallway. She looked back to him, noticing his sunken expression, his slacked shoulders, the air of dread around him; he looked like a mess. "Levi…?"

"Hm…?" He sounded in response, eyes drifting from the brunette's form to look at her.

"Take care of yourself." She begged of him. The older man frowned, not entirely sure how he was supposed to take that. "Please…?"

"Yeah, I will." How else was he supposed to answer? He didn't know. All he knew was that the kids come first, and that was it.

* * *

Maybe it wasn't the best idea for him to be walking down the streets so late at night. He'd branded himself a terrible name, and yet the officer was too preoccupied with the thoughts in his mind to worry about people seeing him or judging him.

It was over. It was all over. There was no way Judge Zackley wouldn't call it a mistrial. Grisha would go free, and now his kids were in far more danger then they had ever been in. They were safe so long as Eren's father was behind bars, but he couldn't even fathom what would happen now that he would be set free.

Could he protect them? More than likely, Levi's job was gone now. No, it was an absolute loss in his job. No longer an officer, he wouldn't have to worry about being separated from his kids. However, he wasn't sure if Zackley would put an order out. He might keep him away from the kids, regardless of his lack of job.

What about Erwin? Covering up such a thing would cost him his job. For Levi, it wasn't so bad. He didn't really care, because there was no one waiting for him at home. Erwin, however, had a family to take care of and support. Who would hire him now that this was on his record?

What he had done cost them both of their jobs. It was his fault, the guilt eating away at him little by little. It was consuming.

If he could go back in time, what would he change?

Sadly to think, he would still sleep with Eren. It helped him, took care of him, so he couldn't take that away from him. He'd change Erwin finding out though. No one would ever need to know. He'd never be taken off the case, and none of this would have ever happened.

Armin wouldn't detest him. He wouldn't be so angry at Eren or Mikasa. Erwin would still be able to take care of his family. Levi could have kept the kids and taken them in.

Now what?

What was he going to do?

He couldn't even care for his wellbeing. His lack of job didn't scare him, nor his sudden financial instability. He wasn't afraid about bills or rent, wasn't afraid of being homeless. All he hoped for, all he prayed for, was his kid's safety. If they weren't safe, all of this would have been for nothing. Everyone's sacrifice would have been for nothing.

Petra. Gunther. Oluo. Eld. Their deaths would be a waste.

Eren had said he wouldn't let Petra's death be in vain. He'd promised her father to do right by her name, but he'd lost his way. When he woke up, he'd have to talk to him. He needed to talk some sense into him. He needed to remind him of what he was fighting for in the end.

The case may be over; no. It was most likely over, but Eren needed to fight. He couldn't give up. He had to keep going.

Levi sighed.

He knew it was a challenge in the end. Eren was a rebellious teen. He couldn't be told what to do. Not by him or anyone else. Just because he was closer to Eren than the others didn't mean anything. Levi seemed to have more leverage over other people in his life, but with Eren's reaction earlier, it seemed like his mind was set in stone.

There was no changing his mind.

Regardless of the trial, Eren wasn't going to go against him any longer. He wouldn't go against his father despite all that happened, even if it meant a better end for them. Would Erwin get a court order forcing him to appear in court? They needed Eren's testimony after all. They didn't want to have to force him into it. They wanted him to help willingly, to want the man that had done them all wrong in prison for life, but if he didn't fight, there was no case.

With the meaning that there was a case in the end.

Turning a corner brought Levi's attention back to his walking. He'd been out already for an hour, no place to go, and no one to visit. He was just walking. Trying to clear his mind and make magic happen out of nothing.

He was further into the city now, but it was so late that most places were closed, and everybody had retired for the night, with the exception of a few bars and diners, which he had no intentions of going to. No need to attract more attention to himself.

Coming up on a diner, Levi looked at the neon lights flickering above it. It was an old place, and very empty. He only saw one waitress inside, who looked utterly spent and hated walking at this point. Only a few customers were left inside at this point, three of which were vaguely familiar to him.

"Erwin...?" He uttered.

Seeing the blonde man brought great surprise to him. This wasn't Erwin's usual setting so late into the night. Then again, he spent his time at home with his wife. He didn't mix business and personal, but seeing him out of the office at a diner, not alone, was surprising.

He was arguing with someone. It was a heated argument, but about what, he wasn't sure. Levi couldn't be spotted from where he stood, but that didn't stop him from stepping closer, risking being seen to see who he was with.

Again, he found himself surprised.

Across from him sat Judge Zackley, returning the argument with disgust. Next to him was Flagon, and all three were discussing something extremely important.

What were they doing? They weren't allowed to talk about the case outside of the court room. They were going to get in trouble. Well, Zackley would. Erwin was in enough trouble already, and Levi was sure Flagon was in some heat as well. He shouldn't have been, considering he knew nothing of it, but now he had to do damage control. This looked bad on him as well.

Was that what this was? Damage control? Were they trying to keep this from becoming a mistrial?

Levi felt it to be a very small chance of that happening, and judging by the look on Zackley's face, the way his mouth moved like he was yelling, seemed to prove that all the more.

He felt it unnecessary to keep watching. He knew the outcome of where this would lead, and yet his eyes lingered on the men inside. It was then that Erwin set something down in front of the judge, pushing it towards him and ignoring the plate of food right there on the table. Levi recognized it as a folder, a specific folder, but from where did he know it? He'd seen it before. Why it stuck out to him compared to the rest of the folders in the world he wasn't sure. He just knew it looked familiar, and that it seemed to draw interest from the judge.

He set his fork down and opened the folder. Levi couldn't hear them talking, but the man seemed to be taking in something very carefully, as if what was presented to him sparked something new for him. Something important. Game changing. The emotions swept over his face from disturb to shock.

What was in that folder that Erwin had?

A car screeched behind him. The sound was loud enough to startle the older man and make him back away, because if it was loud enough, the three men would hear it, and if they heard it and looked, they'd see him standing outside, watching.

He backed away a few paces, hearing the car drive by at probably illegal speeds before two loud pops rang in the air, far louder than the sound of the car as it sped off.

The air in his lungs suddenly burned. He found it hard to breathe, a pain in his chest restricting him. He reached up to clutch at his shirt, finding it wet with something, but he wasn't sure what at first glance.

Looking down, he could see a dark red substance coating his fingers, shining in the neon lighting. The liquid soaked into his white shirt, forever staining it, dripping down his chest and to the waist band of his pants. The pain in his chest intensified, and with a startling realization, the world around him began to go black.

He'd just been shot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you miss me? ;)


	46. It Takes More than this

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daww, I missed you guys too! :D

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 46: It Takes More than This**

* * *

He heard voices. Distant. Blurred together. Morphed, like he was underwater. They were calling out, screaming, crying, and yelling. There was a pressure on his chest, more screaming, and then a beep.

An incessant beep. Continuous.

His whole body felt heavy, including his eyelids, but he managed them open. He was blinded by bright lights, shadows above him, something warm on his cheek.

"He's waking up..." Everything was still murmured, but he was beginning to make out voices. Words. His brain was taking its time, but he was making out what was being said.

"Holy shit..."

"Can you hear us?"

His throat felt like it was lit on fire, scratchy with sand paper, and yet he still tried to make out words. All he could manage was a small nod, but even that seemed to ask for more than his body could produce.

He wanted to tell them that it was too bright, that everything burned, but he couldn't seem to speak.

"Oh my god..."

"You should tell the kids..."

"Not yet..."

"Why...?"

"Let him really wake up first."

The kids? Where were they? He didn't hear their voices, but he found himself questioning where they were.

Where was he even?

"B-Bright..." It hurt just to speak a syllable, but he couldn't handle the light shining in his eyes.

"What...?"

"Turn down the lights some. I think they're hurting his eyes..."

A few moments later, the room flooded into darker lighting. There was still enough light to see everything, and yet dark enough he no longer needed to squint. Pressure was taken off of him as his eyes opened fully. Everything was blurry, but he could make out blonde hair, blue eyes. Another figure, a brunette with glasses.

"Erwin..." He wasn't sure if he said that more questionably or with a sigh of relief. More pressure was on his head, this time in the form of Erwin's hand as he touched his forehead.

"His fever broke..."

"Finally." The pressure on his cheek, which he realized was Hanji's hand, was gone. A cold spot was in its place, but he suddenly realized that he was covered in a layer of sweat.

"It broke about half an hour ago..."

Another person was there with them, but he couldn't seem to recognize the voice, nor find them.

"Shit, Levi. You wanna scare us anymore?" Hanji asked and suddenly leaned out of his vision.

"It wasn't his fault. Let's just be thankful he's alive." Erwin said, his hand moving. Levi assumed he was touching the woman judging by the motion.

"Where...? Where am I...?" His mind was slowly coming together, less fogged over the more time he spent awake.

"In the hospital..." Erwin answered him. "You were shot twice... Nanaba... She just deemed it no longer life threatening a few days ago."

"Until you got a damn fever." Hanji sounded annoyed. Pissed even. What had he done wrong?

No, it wasn't him. Hanji always came across angry when she was upset.

The words spoken before suddenly registered to him.

A few days? Life threatening? A fever among other things. How long had he been there?

"Let's give him a break. He's not even really awake right now." Again that person's voice.

"No... I'm okay..." He responded hoarsely.

"Typical of you, Levi." Erwin said, a small smile on his lips as he brushed the older man's bangs from his face.

"If you're _okay_ , do you think you'll be alright to see the kids?" Hanji asked.

"They're here...?" Levi wanted to sit up, but the pain in his chest was too great.

"None of us have left since you got here." Erwin explained.

"And Erwin's been here since he found you..." Nanaba stepped forward, and it was now that Levi realized that the voice in the room had been her the whole time.

He thought about it, thought about the night it happened, however long ago it had been. What had he been doing that night? He remembered walking, thinking about the trial. What had happened again? He remembered being outside, but where he wasn't sure. He remembered seeing Erwin with someone, maybe multiple people?

He couldn't remember much after that.

Had Erwin been the one to find him after being shot? After years on the force together, they'd seen each other in serious situations, but not once had it ever been _"life threatening."_ What was going through his commander's mind when he found him so close to death? He couldn't even imagine.

"I'll be right back." Hanji excused herself before leaving the room.

"You gave us quite a scare, Levi." Nanaba spoke up. "Not once did I ever think I'd be hooking you up to life support..."

"I'm full of surprises..." He was surprised in himself how much energy and breath it took to speak a full sentence.

"And scares..." She quietly agreed. "The first bullet shot just a few centimeters from your aorta and heart. Your left upper lobe collapsed, but we managed to stabilize you."

"In English?" He asked.

"They shot twice, once through your arm and the other through your lung, but missed anything important. The bullet seared a tendon in your arm, which we did manage to piece back together. It's going to take a long time to heal though, and I can't promise your arm will be the same."

"Thank you..." Levi tilted his head back, eyes closing and breathing in a deep sigh. It hurt to do anything too strenuous, but he had to try. He had to try wrapping his mind around the idea of it too.

He almost died. Someone did a drive by shooting and nearly killed him, but who? Was it one of Grisha's goons? Or was it someone that saw him as a terrible person after sleeping with a victim, and sought out their own sense of justice?

He didn't know right now, and he wasn't necessarily sure he cared. He was alive, and that was more than enough to ease his mind.

Nanaba looked over his saline drip, noticing the bag was almost completely empty before speaking.

"I'm going to get another saline drip. His is running low." She said after checking over his IV. Levi looked at the bag in question, seeing it almost completely empty. Silently he questioned just how many of those he'd gone through already.

How long had he been here again?

He really couldn't focus. He heard everything and yet it was all jumbled, sitting together in places it shouldn't be. Who shot him again? Maybe they hadn't gone over that yet. Where did he get shot? Judging by the ache in his chest, somewhere around there.

His mind couldn't comprehend anything. He was just going to have to wait until everything was fully back up and running then, because he couldn't figure out anything in this condition.

"How long has it been?" And yet he still tried.

"Almost two weeks." Erwin responded as he sat down in a chair beside the bed.

"Ouch..." He wasn't sure if he was saying that from the number or from his sudden intake of breath.

"That's about it." Erwin sighed, his head falling into his hands.

"What did Hanji say? You never left... You should go home to your wife."

"Nanaba said that." The blonde man uttered worriedly.

"... Right." She had said that, hadn't she?

The older man lifted a hand cautiously, noticing the taping on the back of his arm leading to his drip. For the most part, it felt fine, so he allowed himself to rub at his eyes to clear them of the fog.

"Nanaba says you'll be staying here for two more weeks." Erwin told him.

"I'm a tough man. I'm sure I'll be out of here in half that time." Levi tried to smirk and laugh, but damn did his whole body ache.

"Levi, this isn't a laughing matter." Erwin reprimanded. The man turned his head to the side, staring at the blonde with confused and dazed eyes. "You were shot... You could have died."

"We've both been shot before, Erwin. What's so different now?"

"Because you almost die-" Erwin's words cut off when suddenly Mikasa appeared in the doorway. Disheveled and exhausted, she was followed quickly by Eren, who looked to be in much the same state. What with their tousled hair, the bags under their eyes, the discoloration of their skin, or the suddenness of dread hanging over their heads; had they been there this whole time?

"Levi..." Eren's voice trembled as he spoke his name, but Mikasa was the first to move. She was quickly by his bedside, carefully collapsing into his side and suddenly crying out her fears, her pain, her frustration, and her worries. It was unlike her to fall apart so easily, and yet here she was. Crying into Levi's shoulder with her arms wrapped around him as best as she could do without disrupting his body.

"No, no, Mikasa. Shh, it's alright." Levi lifted the only arm he could and touched her head, trying to console her, but he could barely pat her head, both from the position and his lack of energy. "I'm okay, Mikasa. It's alright..."

"No it's not...!" She cried into his shoulder. Levi could feel the dampness of her tears quickly soaking into his gown, drowning his neck in thick droplets that ran down his unmarred skin.

"Yes, it's alright..." He assured and did his best to kiss the side of her head. "Look at me, Mikasa..." He instructed.

There was a pause, like she thought about it and was too afraid to look. Levi lightly poked at the side of her head until she did, however, her face slowly coming into his view for him to see. Up close, he could really see the dark circles under her eyes, red and inflamed from constant rubbing and crying. Her skin and hair looked oily, like she hadn't taken a bath in days, and that was probably the case. After all, Hanji had said that they'd been here since he came in. Or was it Erwin who said that?

"See...? I'm fine..." He assured and rubbed her cheek.

"You almost died..." Her voice shook, scratchy and uneven as she spoke in mortification.

" _Almost_. Come on, Mikasa. It takes more than this to kill me. I'm an Ackerman, remember?"

There was the faintest hint of a smile on her slightly chapped lips, a sigh of relief leaving her as she pushed her head back to his shoulder. There wasn't as much pain on that side, but she still took great caution not to hurt him.

Grey eyes looked towards the other teens as he rubbed his numb hand against her head, eyes beckoning them both to come over. He wouldn't ask much from Armin after what happened, but Eren seemed frozen. Indecisive. Skeptical.

He looked like he couldn't come towards him, like Levi was a fragile doll, and simply being near him would break him.

He looked too afraid to come near either of them, and yet he looked like he so desperately wanted to come near. To hug him. To verify that yes, he was alive. Whoever it was had tried, and they'd failed. He was still kicking, and the brunette looked like he needed to make sure that was true. Yet he wouldn't move.

"Eren..." He mumbled and lifted his arm, waving towards him. "Come here..."

Armin's blue eyes looked towards him, noticing how Eren stalled. He seemed frozen where he stood, and yet the blonde pushed a hand into his back and moved him forward.

The teen staggered before he finally seemed capable of moving towards the bed. He stood on the opposite side, next to Erwin still sitting in his chair, hands trembling. He seemed like he wanted to hold his hand, but he feared hurting him. He didn't want to put pressure on his wounds or anywhere else that could hurt him.

"Hey..." Levi uttered in a disparaging tone before searching out for his hand. There wasn't much he could do with his busted and bandaged arm, but he got the point across.

Shivering and cold fingers slowly laced into his, feeling the warm and soft skin hardened by the harsh world hold onto him weakly. Levi couldn't feel much in that arm right now, but just the lightest of touches. He couldn't tell if Eren was continuing to hesitate or if his injuries had done more damage than he assumed, but it was a start. He wouldn't force Eren into doing something he wasn't comfortable with.

"That's better..." His eyes felt heavy again, like he couldn't keep them open. Maybe he was still under the influence of medication, because he felt sleep clinging to his senses.

"Is he okay...?" Armin's voice was distant, but there with a hint of concern.

"Just tired. He's been through a lot." Hanji was back again, comforting their worries.

"We should let him rest. Now that we know he's okay, we should all go home and get a well-deserved night of sleep." Erwin told them and stood up.

"I'm not leaving him." Eren rebutted, his hand squeezing around the older man's.

"Neither am I." Mikasa agreed and made herself more comfortable on the bed by her uncle.

"Y-You guys..." Armin spoke up, but quickly quieted down. There was no use trying to sway his family's mind. Once they had something set, there was no going against it.

"Hey..." Levi uttered, eyes blinking away the fog to stay awake a moment longer. "I'll be okay... You should go home and sleep."

"No," Mikasa disagreed.

"We aren't leaving you." Eren added.

"Yeah you are, but it's okay..." Levi took in a deep breath, wincing at the pain. "You can come back and see me, okay? I'm not going anywhere."

"Levi..." Mikasa's black eyes burned with tears threatening to fall once more. Her uncle smiled weakly, his hand rubbing her arm gently.

"B-But, Captain..." The brunette wanted to speak, but he too seemed choked up. He wouldn't go far like this, not in his current state of mind.

"Please go home. Go watch some mind numbing TV and eat a good meal. Please? For me?" Levi pleaded with them. He was the only one they'd listen to at this point.

The two of them looked at one another, as if silently deciding what would happen from here. Would they stay or would they go? They really didn't want to go and leave him by himself. Sure, he was safe, and sure, he was alive, but they never knew what could happen. God forbid someone tried to come after him again. What would they do if they really lost him?

Even if he was fine, they were still afraid. They didn't want to leave him, even if they knew he was okay here. He wanted them to go though, to rest at home and sleep peacefully in a bed knowing he was okay instead of an uncomfortable chair not knowing his condition. That wasn't how they should have been spending their time. It was too much for their fragile minds.

They must have known, and yet they wanted to fight it. They didn't want to leave.

"Come on, you guys..." Hanji called out to them, holding out her hand for one of them to take up. "I'll bring you back first thing in the morning, after a good night's sleep and some food. Does that sound okay?"

It was Mikasa who was the first to break. She didn't want to, but her uncle insisted. He wanted her to sleep in her own bed and take care of herself, not worry over him.

He was going to be fine. She just had to keep repeating that to herself as she finally sat up from the bed.

"First thing in the morning...?" She confirmed, her eyes narrowing at the woman with her hand held out.

"First thing in the morning." She assured her.

"I-I don't want to..." Eren argued, taking a few steps back.

"Eren, it'll be okay." Levi assured him and squeezed his hand. "I promise. You know I don't make promises unless I'm sure of the outcome, right? So I'm promising you that it's okay, and that I'll be okay."

Eren squeezed his hand back, skeptical, seemingly ready to break down on him. He knew that Levi spoke the truth though. Levi was a man of his word. He didn't back down on promises he made, so why would this be any different?

"A-Alright..." He agreed, albeit reluctantly and with a stutter. "But tomorrow for sure."

"Absolutely." Hanji told him and smiled as Eren's hand finally left the older man's. He took a few steps back, as if testing the waters, giving him a chance to possibly change his mind and stay, but it didn't come to that.

The teen slowly turned around to be with his family, swallowing a painful lump in his throat, feeling like he could gag at the pain he was feeling. He felt ready to vomit, weary that, with how weak his stomach was right now, it was a huge possibility.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Levi called out to them and waved a pale hand.

"Sleep well, Levi." Hanji bid a farewell, beginning to walk forward to make the teen's follow.

"See you tomorrow," Armin waved his hand timidly, eyes to the ground, but from embarrassment or annoyance was still yet to be determined.

"Good night," Mikasa followed after them.

"Bye, C-Captain..." The brunette's legs felt like led, but they still carried him forcefully out of the room. Nanaba walked in not a moment later with a new bag of saline, eyeing the teens curiously as they left. For the most part, though, she stayed quiet.

"I guess it must be my turn to leave..." Erwin finally spoke and stood, back popping from his prolonged position. Levi blinked wearily, sleep starting to settle over him. He was barely aware of the hand against his for just a moment, a soft tug against his fingers, before the blonde left with a wave and nothing more. He didn't want to keep him awake for too long.

The officer barely made out his goodbye to Nanaba, warning her that Levi was slowly falling asleep. She assured him she'd be quiet before he took his leave, allowing the two of them to be left alone. Not for long, however. She left after switching out the bags, leaving the room utterly silent, minus the annoying beep of his heart monitor.

Levi closed his eyes, mind clear of anything and everything. The trial, the news, his impending lack of job and financial insecurity. It all meant nothing to him in his drug induced state. He could have fallen asleep like that had he not squeezed his hand, feeling something and hearing a crumple between his fingertips. Just barely conscious, he used his good hand to pull whatever it was out from between his numb fingers, unfolding a small piece of paper that had been in his hand.

When had that gotten there? How long has it been there? It couldn't have been long. He was able to hold Eren's hand, and it hadn't been there as far as he knew. Eren would have said something, granted he hadn't put it there, but nothing had been in his hand either. Unless his mind was muddled once more.

Erwin had touched his hand, hadn't he? It had seemed like an odd thing for himself to do, considering the man wasn't a touchy type of person.

He was still too tired to make up his mind about it. All he could do was open up the piece of paper and look at it, finding numbers written down in sequence. It was written down like a phone number; no. It was a phone number. Someone's phone number, but he didn't know whose until he unfolded the last part.

He didn't need to be clear headed to make heads or tails of the name written down. Even dazed by drugs he read the name as clear as day.

_Farlan Church._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop. Der it is.


	47. Just for Tonight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we are with another update. I have one more chapter before I'm finally caught up in my writing, just a forewarning. I'm hoping I can keep the flow of writing going. I wish to say we're like twenty chapters away from the ending, but something tells me I'm way off. Maybe like, forty more. We're gonna be here for a while, so buckle up. Otherwise, enjoy the angst. ^^
> 
> -Misty

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 47: Just for Tonight**

* * *

It had been two days since he had woken up. Two days of a very numb arm, chest pain, and a splitting headache whenever someone turned the lights on.

He was getting better. It hurt to take in deeper breathes, he couldn't move even a finger without some form of agonizing pain shooting up his arm, and his ass hurt from lying in bed for so long. His mind wasn't as foggy, though he still had some trouble putting things into certain places, and key memories seemed to be jumbled. He wasn't sure if this was permanent or not, but it was there all the same. He couldn't say he was too worried about it. Not yet at least.

Levi was more focused on the case. On the kids. Their safety was his top priority, even when his job was very likely gone. He had called in a favor from Marlowe, asking him to bring in previous and old case files of the kids. He wasn't looking to reopen anything or look for evidence in the case. He just wanted names.

Sisters. Brothers. Aunts. Uncles. Nephews or nieces. Grandparents. They couldn't have been alone.

Levi knew that besides him, there was no one left within the Ackerman family besides Mikasa. He had an uncle of his own, but he'd be damned if he let Mikasa near him. That man was in as bad of shape as Levi had previously been, if not worse. It'd been years since he last heard from him. Hell, he was probably dead for all he knew.

Armin had a grandfather two years ago, but he sadly passed away. After a car accident that killed Armin's parents, the blonde went to live with him. Most of his time as a young teen was spent with Eren at his house with his family, however. His grandfather was old and bordering senility, and further back, he saw old reports of people coming to their house to check on Armin. There was a letter in the file as well, dated a few days just before Armin disappeared to allow Children's Services to take him out of the house and put him into foster care. His grandfather would have been put in a home, but everything went to hell before it could happen.

Was Armin even aware that was going to happen to him? Did he know of the impending doom?

Due to the frequent visits, he must have had a clue. Armin was smart, so he should have known that it was bound to happen eventually.

That left Eren.

His mother was dead. Father in custody. There were no records of anyone on Grisha's side. No grandparents or siblings to take them in. He was a completely blank slate. There was no one left alive on Carla's side either. They'd all passed long before any of this had happened.

There was nothing about close friends written anywhere as well. Any wills written up hadn't mentioned where the children would go, just what would be left behind. That was, however, if the kids were alive. The house (Now long since buried under new constructions), the cars, and any money was gone. They'd been deemed dead, so anything meant to go to them was gone now.

Where would they go then? Who would help them now? They were legal adults, but that meant nothing when they had no idea how to _be_ one. They were just children with no idea how to take care of themselves. The only one who could drive was Mikasa, Armin had an expired workers permit that meant nothing to him now, none of them had any work experience and none of them could cook for shit.

They couldn't be expected to make it on their own, not when the threat of Eren's father loomed over their heads. Yes, there were places they could go, special homes that take in people with their sort of situation, papers to be filled so Grisha couldn't come close, but there were others. There would always be others. The kids would always have someone on their tails. It would be years before they could finally rest in the shadows, but _years_ was too long to the officer.

He didn't want it to be years. He wanted it to be now. He wanted them safe and away from everything and everyone right at that very moment.

That was nearly impossible. They wouldn't be safe anywhere they went, even if they went into hiding. They still needed to take care of themselves, and how were they to do that without someone there to teach them how?

Levi couldn't go with them. He wanted to, but he'd be putting them in more danger if he was around them. Unless they went completely under the radar, changed their names, and erased their very existence from the systems, it'd be impossible.

Well, not _impossible_. It was a possibility, but Levi would have rather saved that idea for a time when it was absolutely necessary. Changing their very person would be more stress on them that they didn't need.

He needed a break. All of this thinking was too much for his head, and he could already tell that the ideas were getting jumbled. He really hoped as he pushed his table tray away that this wasn't something permanent. He didn't know how well he'd do being an officer if he couldn't keep his thoughts straight.

Levi carefully leaned back into his bed, mindful of his chest and arm, and sighed out heavily. He could breathe better now, but he still felt a tinge of pain when he inhaled and exhaled. It wasn't so much so that he needed to take tiny breaths, however.

His head tilted back into his not-so-comfortable pillow, eyes squinting at the light.

Why did Nanaba leave the light on when she was in here last? And why did no one bring him something to entertain him? The TV only had a limited amount of channels, all of which he'd watched. He was caught up on news and any TV show he considered okay he had watched. He wasn't going to watch the news either. He knew what was on, and he didn't need to hear about it.

He wasn't much of a TV person to begin with.

He needed his laptop. He needed his bed. He needed to be out of this hospital. Two more weeks of this? He was already losing his mind. He couldn't even sleep with the obnoxious lights on, and everything was bouncing around his head. Add the crazy amount of antibiotics and other drugs running through his system and he was ready to tear his hair out.

Closing his eyes provided little to no relief. The light was just too damn bright and annoying. Sleep was the only thing that could make it go away though. It wasn't easy, and his sleeping schedule was thrown way off with nothing to do in this cursed hospital. It was even two in the morning and he was still awake, but he had to try.

Well, the keyword was _try_.

It was maybe half an hour later of useless attempts of rolling around (he wasn't a back sleeper either) before sleep slowly edged its way into his senses. His mind was finally quieting down; the voices in his head were shutting up. The edges of his vision were darkening, and he could truthfully shoot he person who knocked at his door right at that moment for pulling him away from sleep.

"What...?" He groaned and lifted his head, but he was surprised into silence.

He really wasn't expecting to see Eren standing there. Not by himself and not nearing three in the morning. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him again?

"Hi..." The brunette greeted meekly, hands balled up into fists by his sides.

No. This wasn't a cruel practical joke his mind made up. Eren was really standing there, in the flesh and looking terribly pale and thin again. He'd managed some weight despite the stress of the trails, but it was gone once more]'

"Eren...?" The older man called to him in a questioning tone before trying to sit up, but that wasn't as easy with one arm. "W-What are you doing here?"

Seeing his distress, Eren was quick to be by his side, a hand gently pressing into his back to help him into a more comfortable position.

"I-I wanted to come see you." The teen told him. Levi shot him a questioning glance, his lips pulled in a tight frown. Eren ignored it, however, in favor of repositioning his pillow and pulling the covers up high on his chest.

"Eren-"

"I haven't seen you since a few days ago, okay? Please, just..." He trailed off, eyes falling to look into the older man's lap. He swallowed around a painful lump forming in his throat, eyes burning with hidden emotions he didn't wish others outside of his small family to see.

"Alright..." Levi was too exhausted to see the teen cry right now, too emotionally frail to handle it if even one tear was shed. "Okay, I get it. Don't cry, okay?"

"O-Okay..." Eren sniffled and rubbed at his glassy, green eyes. He couldn't handle his emotions right now, it seemed. "Okay..."

"Sit down," Levi told him and patted on the bed beside him. The brunette did as told, taking a seat beside him and even slowly lying down to relax. He couldn't rest his full weight on the man, but it was enough just to slightly lean on his uninjured shoulder. "Are you okay...?"

"I am now..." Eren breathed out deeply, as if he hadn't been able to breathe well in days, and this was the first time he was taking in fresh air. It was a sigh filled with relief, like he could relax for the first time in a very long time. Thinking about it, Levi hadn't seen him this relaxed in god knows how long.

The officer readjusted himself, throwing his good arm around the teen's shoulder and pulling him into his chest. A nagging voice at the back of his mind reminded him of one crucial detail, keeping him awake despite sleep blurring the edges of his senses. He definitely wanted sleep, but he couldn't with reality still so prominent in his mind.

"Eren..." He mumbled after a few minutes. The teen hummed in response, clearly dozing off, but the older man's voice brought him back to an ever-present reality. "Where's Hanji...?"

He felt the brunette tense ever so slightly, his hands fisting the hospital gown carefully between his fingers. He hesitated to answer, because he knew Levi wouldn't like it, but that in itself was enough of an answer. He didn't need him to fully explain to understand what the teen didn't speak.

"Eren..." He said his name in a disapproving manner.

"She's at home..." Eren responded quietly, quickly, his words muffled by Levi's gown. They were still heard, however.

"Eren..." The man repeated his name, his voice dragging in irritation.

"I just wanted to come see you."

"Is she even aware that you're here right now? Is she even _awake_?"

"Probably not. Everyone was sleeping before I left..." Eren buried his face in Levi's neck, taking in a deep breath and his comforting scent, a scent currently altered by his recent weeks in the hospital. The older man groaned.

"Should I even ask how you got here on your own?"

"I walked..."

Yeah, he really shouldn't have asked.

"God help me..." Levi groaned as he tilted his head back, his good arm coming up to rub at the bridge of his nose. "I'm going to have to call Hanji."

"No...!" Eren suddenly shot up from the bed, his eyes wide with horror. "You can't!"

"She needs to know where you are, Eren."

"She'll take me back!"

"You're going to get in trouble and mess things up for the case if she doesn't know where you are." Levi tried to reason with him.

There was a very solemn look that came across Eren's expression, as if what Levi said upset him more than the possibility of Hanji coming to get him. He didn't like the idea of the case, but the man knew why.

"I don't care..." Eren's head hung low. "I'm not dealing with it..."

"Eren-"

"I'm not going back. It's off my back now, and that's it." The teen sat back on his heels, his resolution firm and unrelenting. He really had it in his mind that he wasn't going back into that room.

"So you really don't care that Grisha might go free?"

He had to be brutally honest. Eren was so mentally screwed over, but Levi couldn't hold back just because he was suffering. He had to be as harsh as possible, because that was the only way the teen would understand the circumstances to his decision. He needed to understand that he was in danger if he didn't continue fighting. That he, Mikasa, and Armin could potentially fall right back into his hands. Surely they'd follow Eren to keep him safe, and that meant they were in danger as well.

"N-No…" By the stutter in his tone and the way his body shivered at his answer, he wasn't being honest. He was trying though. "No, I don't. We'll be fine on our own. We always have been, and we always will be."

Even he knew he was lying to himself, but what could they do? They'd done enough, and now his mistake had destroyed the many innocent lives at the station, Levi's own, and put them all in a bad position. There was no fixing what they'd done. There was no going back in time and changing their night together.

He just had to move forward. He had to forget the past and focus on the future. That's what Hanji would tell him to do anyway. She may not have meant it in that sort of way, but that was what he perceived, and that was what was going to happen.

It was all he could do.

"Are you sure, Eren…?" Levi asked and grabbed at his hand, feeling the tight grip of his fingers clenching into his palm. He had to wedge his own fingers between his to relax his hand, and even then his finger nails had dug deep in his skin, little crescent indents bleeding bright red blood to the surface.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'm done." He managed to steady his voice to answer in what sounded like confidence, but Levi knew better.

He'd heard it hundreds of times before. If he wasn't sure his job was gone, he'd go ahead and say this wouldn't be the last time he heard it.

"Alright…" It was late, and he'd give Eren the benefit of the doubt for now. However, this wasn't over. He knew that, if the case continued, Erwin and Flagon would get a court order for Eren to show up. He didn't want to do it against his will, but he wasn't leaving them much of a choice.

First he'd let him have his time to be at peace. Then, when he'd gotten that, a good night's sleep, and some food in his belly, he'd try to convince him again. One wasn't mentally capable of making serious decisions with these three main factors clouding their better judgment. If that didn't work, they'd have no choice but to get a court order.

Maybe, if Armin was willing to speak with him, he'd ask Armin to try talking to him. He only ever seemed to really listen to him and Mikasa, but Mikasa wasn't in a very good state of mind at the moment. Armin was the only one really holding up, but then again, he wasn't related to Levi. He wasn't concerned for his well-being like Mikasa and Eren were. He wouldn't show him what he was really thinking and feeling.

"Come here…" Levi said after a prolonged sigh.

The brunette finally laid back down, head resting on his shoulder. He even snuggled himself under the blankets to lay beside him, after removing his shoes and sweater. He made himself right at home, and quite quickly did he seem to relax, for his body stopping its shaking and for his breathing to even out.

"Thank you…" He mumbled, his body heaving a sigh of relief.

"Well the sheets aren't that thick, but I guess it's pretty warm…" Levi remarked as his hand played with frayed strands in Eren's hair. He really needed his haircut. His bangs were far past his eyebrows at this point.

"No, not about that… But I like this too." There was the smallest pull in Eren's cheek. If he didn't know any better, he would think it would be a smile. When was the last time he'd seen Eren smile? Like a real, genuine smile?

"About what then…?"

"For not persisting." The teen told him. "All I've heard these past few days from Hanji is about the case. My head won't stop hurting, and I don't want to hear about it anymore. I've already told everyone what I decided and that's it, but no one listens to me."

"You know we only want to keep you safe." Levi tried to reason with him. "We want what's best for you, what will lead you to a better life."

"Still, it hurts my head. I just… Just for a damn night… Just for tonight, I just want it quiet. I want to lay here with you, I want to sleep, and I want to pretend that everything happening isn't actually happening. I just want to escape, and Hanji won't let me drink, so… This will be enough."

That wasn't something he hadn't heard in a long time. It'd been nearing a year since he'd heard Eren mention drinking. He used to do it every day, just to keep himself sane. He'd been sober now for a relatively good amount of time, but it was definitely something to hear him speak like it was still something he missed. He should have known better, but Levi himself knew that addiction didn't work that way.

"This is fine to me. I'm glad you aren't harping on it anymore. I just wanted to lay here and relax, so thank you." Eren finished, his cheek rubbing against Levi's shoulder.

"I know what it feels like to have someone over your shoulder twenty four seven." Levi explained.

"… Sometimes I think you're the only one who gets me." Eren sighed. "I mean, Mikasa and Armin get me. They're in the same shitty situation, but at the same time…"

"It's different when it comes from an outside third party?" The officer concluded.

"Exactly…" Eren agreed.

"Well, we've both done things we aren't proud of, Eren. Sometimes it's nice to hear from someone who's been in that situation, but who's grown from it in the end."

Eren's head slowly nodded, taking in the man's words carefully. He was absolutely right, and after so long of having to be separated from the man, he was reminded of why this felt so comfortable, so right.

He was in very, very deep, and he knew that, but that was okay. He'd overlook his feelings for the older man so long as he could stay here like this and gain comfort. It wouldn't last forever and he knew it, but right now was fine with him. Right now meant he could close his eyes and breathe like the world around him wasn't asking for something impossible from him.

"I still need to call Hanji and tell her where you are though."

Okay, or maybe not.

"Do you have to?" He didn't mean to whine. Well, actually, he did.

"I'll see if she can give you some time. She needs to know where you are though, Eren. Besides, you wouldn't want Mikasa and Armin wondering where you are, right? What if one of them woke up and you weren't there? They'd think something terrible happened to you."

Why did he always need to be right?

"… Fine." He relented with a pout. He'd have to enjoy this to his upmost advantage.

"Can you grab my phone off the chair there?" Levi asked and motioned towards his phone on the charger.

"And if I said no?"

"Eren." He wasn't going to have any teenage sass. Not say late at night.

Eren grumbled to himself before rolling over to grab his phone, taking it off the cord. He handed it to him begrudgingly, giving it a little toss onto the man's chest to show his annoyance to the whole situation before getting himself back into his previous position.

Levi rolled him eyes, ignoring the teen's antics before typing in Hanji's number. It proved difficult with one hand, and with that arm still being trapped under Eren's head, but he managed. He had to put it on speaker due to their positions, which meant Eren was going to hear everything they were about to discuss. If she answered, that is.

It rang once. Twice. Three times. By the fourth ring he assumed she was out cold, but on the fifth ring she picked up.

"… _H-Hello?"_ She sounded exhausted, and who wouldn't be nearing three in the morning.

"Hanji…?"

" _Levi, what are you doing calling so late?"_ They could practically hear her sliding off of the bed in her sleep deprived state. _"Erwin said you've got a terrible sense in time, but I didn't think it was this bad."_

"I-… He said what?"

Eren quietly snickered against his chest, keeping it muffled so the woman on the other side of the line wouldn't hear him.

" _What do you want, Levi?"_ She sounded completely done with him already.

"Are you missing something?" He asked. There was a pause; obviously she was trying to think of what she could possibly be missing so early in the morning.

" _What…?"_ She finally questioned.

"Eren's here at the hospital with me." He admitted and tilted the phone towards the teen.

"Hi Hanji…" He spoke quietly.

" _Eren…?"_ Suddenly sounding awake, the two of them heard something drop in the background. Whether it was her or something else important they weren't entirely sure, but whatever it was, it was loud. " _Wh-What are you doing there, Eren? How did you get- I mean when did you-?"_

"These were all the same questions I asked." Levi rebutted.

"I wanted to see Captain Levi, so I walked here." Eren answered some of the more important questions quickly enough.

" _Son of a…"_ There was a pause, followed by another loud bang. Both of them were pretty sure she'd just whacked her head into something. _"Just… Just stay there, Eren. I'm coming to get you right now."_

"Please don't." Eren pleaded with her.

" _Eren, this isn't up for debate."_

"Hanji," Levi stopped her and took his phone off speaker. He had some maneuvering to do to get the phone up to his ear, but they managed. "Listen. Come pick him up in the morning. Get some sleep. I'll watch out for him."

" _Are you drunk off hospital antiseptics, Levi?"_ The woman asked, her tone clearly sarcastic and irritated.

"On those and a few other things." He looked to the teen laying against him, who looked at him curiously. He couldn't hear Hanji anymore, so he had no idea what to expect out of their conversation.

" _You're really asking too much of me right now, Levi."_

"I know that, and I know how bad this is for the case, but I really think Eren needs time to be by himself."

" _He's with you, and if you don't remember correctly, Erwin has ordered you not to go near him."_

He could pretend that his injuries made him forget that little bit of information, but Hanji was smart. She'd see right through his terrible lie.

"I'm aware of that. We won't be talking though. Just sleeping. I won't be up much longer, and I'm sure he's exhausted. We'll get some rest, and then you can-"

" _Are you really arguing this with me right now?"_ Hanji's tone spoke clear dissatisfaction in her words. Annoyance that he'd even tried to argue with her. _"At three in the morning, are you really trying to talk your way out of this?"_

Something in the back of his head told him to answer no, but he just kept quiet. He knew there really was no way of persuading her, but he hoped she'd at least give Eren the chance to breathe, but that didn't seem to be the case. She wasn't going to have any of this. Whether it was sleep deprivation, her interrupted sleep, or just his plain ignorance, he wasn't entirely too sure what it was that upset her so much. He just knew that they weren't going to win this argument.

" _I'll be over in fifteen minutes to get him,"_ And just so he couldn't argue back, she hung up the phone without parting words.

Levi locked his phone and slowly lowered his arm, a heavy sigh leaving him that uttered defeat. Eren knew it, and yet he tried to play it off like they'd somehow convinced her, that he was allowed to stay.

The older man really didn't want to break his heart like this, but soon enough Hanji would be here to get him. Something told him she'd take him either kicking and screaming, or fully prepared to leave. He had to make this as easy as possible on all of them.

"She's going to be here in fifteen minutes, she said." He told him regretfully. The hurt and anxiety that quickly built up in his big, green eyes was painful to look at. It hurt knowing he'd put this over the brunette's head. "I'm sorry…"

Eren dropped his head back on his shoulder, a heavy sob leaving him. He broke down so fast that it was hard to quickly console him, especially since he couldn't properly hold him. Not in this position, and not with his messed up arm.

"Shh, it'll be alright, Eren…" He tried to assure him, but he couldn't make any promises. There was nothing to promise in a situation like this where Eren was once again being forcibly pulled from his comfort.

"W-Why is it so much to ask for?" Eren cried into his gown, body shaking as his hands clutched at his waist.

"What do you mean?"

"Why can't I just be left alone? Why can't I be happy for five fucking minutes? Why is it so difficult to just be with you without the whole world trying to break us apart?" Eren's rambling continued, questions of his bad fortune, of his treatment for just wanting to be with him, or of the long and painful torment he had to suffer. He kept asking all of these questions, his voice wobbling and his nails digging into the older man's sides.

Levi didn't have answers to any of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes. To answer the question that has been frequently asked. Yes. Yes yes... Eren's balls will drop soon. I promise.


	48. Figure it Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has actually been done for two weeks, but my beta was moving the first week, and then I just completely forgot to send it last week. Wala.
> 
> I'm going to preface this chapter IN BIG LETTERS SO PEOPLE KNOW I HAVE A WARNING FOR THIS CHAPTER. I don't want to hear anyone complaining that I haven't warned them about it in the comments again when I so clearly have in the past.
> 
> There is Eremin in this chapter. As in Eren and Armin. If you do not agree/appreciate/like/or tolerate this ship, please either read over the moment or skip this chapter. This is something vital to the story, so it's something that's happening here, and will come about again. Otherwise, please enjoy. Hope you all had a wonderful holiday. ^^
> 
> -Misty
> 
> Song of the Day: It has nothing to do with this chapter, but imma throw out "Blood, Sweat, and Tears" from BTS. Just cause.

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 48: Figure it Out**

* * *

Two weeks went by at an agonizingly slow pace, but he managed with very little sanity left in him.

He was told to head home and continue to rest, but this was Captain Levi Ackerman. Why Nanaba thought he'd listen to that, no one was really sure. All they knew was he was in the precinct just hours after his discharge, sporting a brace around his shoulder and his jacket hanging off of his shoulders haphazardly.

The office was quickly filled with cheers, a few short moments of applause as everyone crowded around him. Even Hitch of all people seemed happy to have him back, but maybe that had something to do with her having to pick up the slack while he was gone.

"Glad you're back, Captain!"

"We're so happy to see you on your feet!"

"Don't worry. We didn't destroy too much while you were gone."

Everyone at least remained positive in the morbid state of affairs. Jobs were still on the line, but at least everyone was alive and healthy.

For the most part, anyway.

"Captain..." Levi looked in the direction his title had been called from, seeing Erwin emerge from his office with a wide smile on his face.

"Hey..." He greeted.

The commander was probably wondering if he'd been in contact with Farlan at all those past few weeks, but he hadn't been. He couldn't work up the nerve to do it, and certainly not in his condition. Right now, after the shooting, he was a little emotionally unstable. He could handle a serious situation and keep a level head, but only for so long it seemed.

He really shouldn't have been in the office as it was, but he figured he could handle himself.

"Welcome back." Erwin greeted him with a warm expression, genuinely happy to see the man as he walked towards his office.

"Glad to be back." Levi agreed as he walked in.

"You're looking an awful lot bett-"

"Levi...!"

The blonde couldn't get another word in when Eren and Mikasa saw him. They'd been discussing things, personal things, when he'd returned. It was a bit of a break for them to see him and take a step away from the case. For a hug at the most.

"I'm so glad you're okay..." Eren said into his shoulder. Mikasa hadn't made it in time to hug him first, so she waited as patiently as she could. She couldn't take the other side when his arm was still so badly injured.

"How many times do I have to tell you guys I'm fine before you believe it?" Levi questioned and let the teen go. His arm wasn't free for more than two seconds before his niece took Eren's place. "What? Do I need to do some summersaults for you to get it?"

The girl laughed beside his ear, smiling to herself to see him up and walking. She couldn't bear the sight of him while he was in the hospital, all bruised up, weak looking and tired. He'd even lost a bit of weight, more muscle definition than actual weight, but it only showed in his cheeks.

"That'd be nice." She agreed, giving one last, gentle squeeze before letting him go.

"I'm glad to see you're worried for me at least." The older man said dryly.

"Huh...?"

"A lamp to the head isn't the best way to say you're worried." Levi remarked. Mikasa's lips pulled into a grin, her head ducking to hide a small laugh.

"I never did apologize for that, did I?" She asked with a quiet voice.

"You don't need to..." Mikasa rubbed the back of Levi's arm, mindful of the healing bullet wound. "I wasn't there for you when you were a kid. I wasn't there when you needed me the most, so I consider that karma coming back at me. I deserved it."

"Well... I'm still sorry..." She said softly. "I was a little angry..."

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot."

The friendly banter between them was refreshing, lifting the seemingly heavy air within the room. It was relaxing, no worries or concerns about the case, court, or the future. At least for only a few moments.

Levi knew they had been talking about the case. That was probably why they were here right now. Erwin was trying to convince Eren to continue on before giving him the news that he didn't have a choice. They were trying hard to get him to agree; they didn't want to force this on his fragile mind, but they didn't have a choice. Even with the chances of the case continuing in court being so very slim (Was there even a chance at this point?), he needed to be willing to continue testifying.

Or suffer the consequences if he didn't.

He could tell by the heavy air that it had been a very heavy talk. Eren must have been winning somehow, leaving Hanji, who'd been hiding in a chair in the corner, seemingly very tired, glasses off and rubbing at the bridge of her nose. Erwin seemed like seeing Levi was a good break in the tension, and since when was that a thing? For months now Levi hadn't been the light in the darkness, so it must have been something fun he missed.

Good.

"How long will your arm be in that?" Mikasa asked, mildly interested in the sling holding his arm in place.

"Nanaba says a few more weeks, and then I start physical therapy."

There was a barely there screech of a chair. So quiet that not really any of them paid any mind to it, but Eren's eyes were trained on Armin as he sat up and left the office. His shoulders slumped, seemingly defeat with a broken heart and puppy dog eyes to boot.

"Something tells me he's still mad." Levi remarked, noticing the brunette's lingering stare.

"He won't talk to me..." The teen mumbled, uncomfortable to say the least. "I tried doing what Hanji said and give him his space, b-but he..."

"He's not very happy with any of us right now." Hanji admitted. "He still writes in his journal, but he doesn't really talk to me."

"Armin is a very shy kind of kid. My take on his behavior is he's the kind of kid who lets everything boil inside of him until it's either resolved or he does something stupid."

"Basically," Hanji agreed with a heavy sigh to Levi's statement.

"So want to know what I think?" Levi asked, looking over to Eren. The question was more for him and him only considering this was about him and Armin more or less.

"What...?" The brunette questioned.

"Go talk to him. Don't wait for him to come to you, because he won't." Levi told him bluntly. "His way of thinking isn't that you're waiting for him, it's that he's waiting for you to make a move. The longer you wait, the angrier he'll be, so go talk to him before he hits you again."

Bringing up what happened weeks ago made Eren feel resentment of a sting in his cheek. He remembered clear as day the shock and pain he felt when the teen had slapped him. Despite his tiny stature, Armin had a pretty good swing. Did he really want to provoke that from him?

It wasn't like he had a choice. Levi was right; Armin would be mad at him and hold it over his head until it was resolved, no matter who was in the wrong. He needed to fix this.

"O-Okay..."

He was already shaking at the idea of confronting him. He wasn't afraid of being slapped, although he wouldn't like it to happen again. He just didn't want Armin mad at him anymore. He didn't want him ignoring him. He didn't want this _tension_.

He and Armin were always so open with each other. They shared everything together. They told each other everything they wouldn't tell anyone in the world about. That was why they worked so well together. That was why he had fallen for the little blonde.

Yes, he had feelings for Levi, but he cared about Armin too, and that wasn't going to change. He didn't think it would happen. Not anytime soon anyway.

"Go on," Mikasa spoke softly, reassuringly to give him some confidence as Levi used his good arm to push him out of the office. This would be a good break from the case, and if all went well, he might just have enough courage to face to his father again.

Eren staggered at first, his fingers tightening together in his lap as he walked. He spotted Armin not too far off, hiding in the alcove with his legs pulled up to his chest. He was exuding an aura that told everyone and anyone to leave him alone, but Eren wasn't like anyone and everyone. He had to try.

Key word: _Try._

"Armin... C-Can I talk to you for a moment?" Eren asked hesitantly, green eyes barely lifting to look at him.

Armin looked at him from the corner of his blue eyes, his lips tightening together. He breathed in deeply, at first the impression that he would reject him. However, with an exaggerated sigh, Armin scooted over on the bench, giving Eren the space he would need to sit.

This was good. This was improvement. Armin hadn't bothered to give him the time of day before, so this was very good.

"Thank you..." Eren mumbled as he sat beside him, but he kept his distance. He wouldn't pressure him by sitting too close.

"So...?" The blonde suddenly spoke.

"Huh...?"

"You said you wanted to talk..." Armin remarked coldly, eyes looking away to the floor.

"Oh, right..." Eren brought his hands together in his lap, fingers lacing and tightening together. "Armin... I-I'm sorry... For what happened between Captain Levi and I..."

Blue eyes lifted, but Armin kept his head turned. He wasn't giving him much of a break today, but Eren understood.

"What happened... It wasn't something I... I-I mean it's not against... Or rather..." What was he trying to say? Where was he supposed to start? "Between Captain and I..."

"I'm not mad at you for that..." Armin spoke up, stopping his incessant yammering.

"What...?" The brunette looked up with a mixture of shock and surprise as Armin turned in his seat.

"You and Captain Levi sleeping together... I'm not mad about that." Armin said.

"You're not?" Eren asked cautiously.

"No, I'm not. I understand it. I think I do anyway. You were scared and upset... You didn't have any other way to clear your head and make yourself feel better... I wasn't there to help you, not like I could at the time, but... I understand it..."

"Armin..." Eren mumbled with wide eyes.

"What I'm mad about... What I'm upset about is that fact that you didn't tell me about it." The smaller teen looked at him with discouraging eyes. "I wouldn't have been mad, Eren. I completely understand, because I couldn't help you, and you needed it... But even though we were always able to tell each other everything, and even though we're usually so honest about everything, you kept it from me."

"Armin-" Eren began, but Armin stopped him with a pointed glance.

"And as selfish as it sounds, I have to hear this in a court room full of people and cameras broadcasting this to live news stations. The whole world hears about it at the same time I do, and it's just... Embarrassing. Mortifying even. It's disgustingly wrong of me to think, but I couldn't believe that you would hide this from me, only for it to come up at the worst possible time."

"I didn't mean for that to happen, Armin." Eren told him. "You're right. I was so scared, and there was a part of me that wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to hurt you. I didn't want you thinking that I thought of you as useless or meaningless to me. I didn't want to ask anymore from you either. I've done so much to you already, and I couldn't hurt you again..."

Eren leaned forward beside him, hands slowly coming closer to the smaller teen's.

"I wanted to tell you so many times... But I was so afraid I'd hurt you, Armin. I didn't want to hurt you again..."

The blonde's eyes reddened, tears prickling at the corners to burn them. Armin turned his head away in hopes that he could hide it, but soon he was sniffling, and the signs were becoming too obvious to hide. The telltale signs that he was going to cry. That he'd break down and lose it. He really had no control over his emotions it seemed.

"It was only one night, Armin. It's the truth, and the truth is that I still love you. I'd never want to hurt you, and I hope you know that."

Eren managed to shorten the distance between them and finally grabbed his hand. Unlike before, Armin didn't pull away. He didn't hit him either. In fact, he held his hand back, his head lifting to look up at the brunette.

"I do..." Armin mumbled.

Eren pulled on him until he fell against his chest, relief flooding over him when Armin's arms wrapped around his neck, fingers tangling into his hair. He embraced him back, his hands cradling the small of his back and his shoulder. It felt so good to have him back in his arms, to feel his hands on him, to inhale his scent up close, and to feel his breathing against his neck.

"I love you, Armin..." Eren whispered and kissed the side of his head. He could feel the shorter hairs sticking out, pressing into his lips as he kept him close. It wasn't even a kiss anymore. He just needed this reassurance.

"Me too..." Armin replied, voice trembling with emotions. He really had missed this, and because they still stayed in the same apartment, it made it harder to see one another every day and not even touch. He hated waking up in a separate bed. He hated the cold spots beside him in the morning and the feeling of emptiness.

This was more like it.

"I won't hide anything from you again, Armin. I swear..." Eren promised him.

"I-It's okay... I get it, I really do." Armin pulled back, faces close enough to kiss, but all they did was stare at each other. "I'm sorry for slapping you too... That was overdoing it."

"I deserved it..." Eren uttered sheepishly and rubbed at the shorter patch of hair on Armin's head.

"No, you didn't. I overreacted to that, and it was selfish..." The blonde admitted, his cheeks tinted pink in admission.

"Armin..."

"Are you two okay?"

The two teens looked up from each other to find Officer Levi standing beside them, his hand in his pocket and hip cocked to the side.

Eren looked at Armin, apprehensive. He swallowed a lump of something, probably fear of rejection, forming in his throat, waiting for Armin to answer.

"... We're okay." Armin said this more to Eren then to the officer.

Right. He may have been okay with Eren, but he was still mad at him.

"That's good..." Levi said just as Eren breathed out a sigh of relief. He could actually see the tension lifting from the brunette's shoulders. He really hated what he was about to do. "... Good enough to go back to court?"

Seeing the tension come back was painful to watch. He didn't mean to do this to him.

"I mean, I guess-"

"No." Eren interrupted the teen, his hands tightening around the blonde. "I already said no."

There was a timid look given from Armin towards the officer, his lips a deep frown. The officer wasn't sure what that meant, if it was a look of guilt or a small, silent plea, but he'd take it for what he saw as. An opportunity.

"Armin, wanna take a walk?" The older man asked. Armin seemed taken aback by the question, but he was smart. He knew where he was going with this.

"Uh... S-Sure." He nodded weakly as he stood, giving Eren a reassuringly look, or as reassuring as he could give towards his family. Eren let go of him reluctantly; he had just gotten him back too. He had to remind himself that this wasn't a permanent thing.

Levi walked forward, his pace slow to allow the blonde to follow him out of the office. The walked down the hallway, away from the windows and far enough that no one would hear their conversation or try spying on them from down the hall. This way, they were secluded.

"You doing good?" Levi asked him, finally stepping to the side and putting his weight against the wall.

"Yeah..." The teen answered him. Talking to him was not like talking to Eren at all. He knew that, and yet he found it very difficult to talk to him like a normal person. Maybe it was because he wasn't as rebellious as Eren, but he had his moments.

"Listen... About what happened between Eren and I..."

"Don't." Armin stopped him, but he didn't sound angry. It wasn't out of annoyance. "... Thank you. For what you did for Eren... Thank you..."

Levi looked at him with a blank expression, but in his mind, he was really trying to figure the kid out.

He really was not as easy to read as Eren was.

"You aren't mad?"

"Of course I am. You slept with my... U-Uhm..." Armin faltered.

Obviously the word _boyfriend_ wasn't as easy to say compared to what's come from him before. Maybe because it had been so long since he was able to refer to Eren like that? Or maybe it was because their relationship was too complicated to actually name. He wasn't too sure, and something told him Armin wasn't either.

"Anyway... Yeah, I'm still mad, but you helped him. You did what you could to keep him sane, so that I'm grateful for. That's more than anyone has ever done for him."

"... You're really weird, you know that?" Levi asked him, sarcastic in manner, but he meant it to some extent.

"What...?"

"Nothing." Armin frowned at him. He knew what he heard, but why wouldn't he explain it? "So if all is cleared up between you and Eren, you think you can do me a favor?"

"Why...?" The blonde asked with an annoyed tone.

"Because you love the brat, and you want what's best for him, right?" Levi responded casually. Armin looked to the floor, obviously at a loss for an argument. "That's what I thought."

"Don't think just because I love him means you can use him against me."

"Listen Armin, we've done everything we can to try and get Eren to go back to court, but he's not listening to us." Levi completely ignored his previous statement in lieu of something more important. "If he's going to listen to anyone at this point, it's going to be you. I'm not saying you have to, but if you can convince him otherwise, you'd be saving us a whole hell of a headache."

"What do you mean?"

Levi sighed. He wanted to keep this quiet, but if they needed Eren to agree, Armin needed to know.

"The court date has been set for next month. In a week, if we can't get Eren to agree, Erwin's going to get a court order to force Eren to go."

"You can't do that to him." The teen seemed just as angry at the idea as he was. "After all you've done to help us, you'd go and throw it back in his face?"

"I know, Armin. Trust me, I do. That's why we need to get him to agree to it. He has to go willingly, and if not then by force. He's going one way or another, but it's easier if he does it on his own. We don't want to do this to him."

Levi's explanation made sense, but the idea of forcing him to do it was horrible anyway. The idea of trying to convince Eren was even worse.

He was set in his mind. He was positive that he was done. To convince him otherwise meant dealing with a force that Armin didn't like messing with. They'd just figured things out after all, but maybe that would be an advantage. Maybe that'd be enough of a terrible guilt trip to talk Eren into going back.

One could only hope.

"... I can try to talk to him." Armin rubbed at the back his neck, his shoulders stiff. "I can't make any promises though. He's really adamant about not going."

"I know. I trust your judgment though. If it doesn't work, well, all we can say is we gave it a shot."

It was worth the try. It was all they had left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 12/5/16: This was requested from Hoska. A summary of this chapter for those who may not like the eremin tag/ship and chose to skip over it:  
> After his discharge, Levi returns to the office. He finds the teens there, all happy to see him up, walking, and alive. Armin, however, is still dealing with what happened in court. Levi tells Eren to work it out and talk to him, so Eren does. He apologizes to Armin for what happened between them, but Armin then tells him he wasn't mad at him for that. He was mad at him for never telling him and keeping it a secret. They make up only with the promise that Eren won't hide anything from him again, also telling him that he still loves him. When they've come to finally make up, Levi comes over to make sure they're okay, to which Armin says they are. He asks if they're okay enough to go to court again, and while Armin is okay with it, Eren is adamant and refuses. Levi pulls Armin away to apologize himself, coming to find Armin is still mad at him for sleeping with his "boyfriend," but otherwise grateful he helped him. He also asks the teen if he's willing to try and convince Eren to go back. He says if he doesn't, Erwin will get a court order and force him to go. Eren will go one way or another, but they want him to go willingly. Armin says he can't promise anything, but he'll try.


	49. Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhm............................ Hi. *sweat drop*
> 
> I have no excuses.
> 
> Enjoy my song of the day and chapter for you.
> 
> Song of the Day: Not Today
> 
> By: BTS

**Lost Cause**

**It's his job. Being in this special operation requires apathy, a cold heart, and dead eyes, making him just the man to do it. Of course this doesn't mean he likes it. However, when he runs into three young teens in the worst possible situation a life could lead, it turns out that he isn't as heartless as he once thought he was. Modern day AU: Officer Levi, Prostitute Eren. (Lots of trigger warnings. You're going to hate me so much for this fanfic.)**

**Rated M for adult themes, sexual content, adult language, violence and gore, child abuse, rape, drug abuse, oh so much more that I can't even list.**

**Main pairing: Riren. Other pairings with side pairings.**

**Anime: Shingeki No Kyojin (Attack on Titan)**

* * *

**Chapter 49: Reunion**

* * *

The next time he saw the kids, it was under more morbid circumstances.

It had been a week, and after a quick talk in the halls with Armin, he'd come to find that Eren stood by his word.

He wasn't going to do it.

They didn't want to do this to him. They really didn't. They wanted Eren to be willing to go back, and they wanted for him not to lose his trust in them. Doing this was going to put a strain on him and his relationship with everyone, including Armin, who he'd just gotten back.

He hadn't meant to really involve the blonde in this type of situation. He was sure Eren would agree to it if was Armin who asked him, but after he refused, Levi realized that Armin now knew of something Eren didn't. He'd switched their rolls and thrown Armin into a situation he didn't belong in, just like they'd done before.

Once again, he'd gone and messed up, but they had to fix this. _He_ had to fix this. He needed to make this right.

If there was a chance, even the tiniest of chances that Grisha wasn't set free, it was something they could work with.

He needed to keep fighting.

That meant they had no choice.

They all met up in Erwin's office. It was cold, raining, and awful outside. Armin was afraid of thunderstorms, which meant he was up all night, and because he was up all night meant so was Mikasa and Eren. That meant their moods were already on a sour note so early in the morning. Hanji was trying hard to remain chipper, to bring up their spirits, but she knew there was only so much she could do.

It wouldn't mean much in a few moments anyway.

"Good morning, everyone." Erwin greeted, as awake as one could be at eight in the morning on a Monday.

There were few replies, small responses and a groggy yawn from Levi as he sat back in Erwin's chair. The taller man gave him a confused look, but the officer returned it with a look that dared the man to force him out of the chair. It was too early for any of this.

"Why do we have to be here so early?" Eren groaned, rolling head to land on Armin's shoulder. Definitely way too early in the morning to talk about this.

"I have a press conference at nine, so this was the only time to do it." Erwin told him and sat on the edge of his desk. "Do you want to take a guess at why we're here, Eren?"

There was a pause from him. Armin felt the brunette instantly stiffen against him, his head slowly lifting from his shoulder.

He wasn't dumb. He knew what this was about.

"Eren-"

"Armin," Levi quickly interrupted him by shaking his head. Armin didn't need to be in trouble for his mistake.

"It's about the case, Eren." Hanji told him.

"I already said no. I'm not going." Eren instantly rejected him, standing up from his chair to pace. He couldn't leave the room with Hanji by the door, unintentionally (or maybe it was intentional) blocking the doorway.

"Yes, you are." Erwin spoke in a deep tone, a tone of voice he used when authority was needed.

"No, I'm not."

"I put in for a court order a couple of days ago from judge Zackley." Erwin told him. "You don't have a choice now."

"What...?" Eren's voice cracked at the sudden high pitch. "You can't do that!"

"We tried to get you to go willingly, Eren." Levi assured him.

"I'm not going! You can't make me!"

"Eren, calm down." Hanji stood away for a moment to reach out to him, but the utter disgust he felt in their actions showed at the way he backed up from her.

"Eren, if you don't show up under court order, I'll have no choice but to place you under arrest for failing to appear in court." The blonde man explained.

"What...?" Mikasa gaped at him in surprise. This was news to her.

"You never said that!" Armin barked at Levi.

"Fine then!" Eren's words took everyone by surprise. All eyes were on him in the room, staring at him in morbid shock that he would even agree to something so crazy. "I don't care! I said I'm not going and I mean it!"

"Eren, wait a second-" Mikasa reached out for him, but he was like a startled animal, quickly backing away from even her own touch.

"No! I'm not going back!"

Eren's resolution was firmly set in place. There was no changing it.

They would have argued it more, said things, and told him he had no choice or face jail again, but they stopped when Hitch came into the room.

"Commander," She quickly interrupted, followed by a shout outside of the room. "We need your help out here."

She was gone as fast as she came in. Levi, Hanji and Erwin shared confused looks with each other before Erwin walked out, Levi following at his own pace.

There was yelling outside of the room, frantic shouting, but only from one person. A female voice it seemed. Behind it was someone else, a male voice, but it didn't sound half as frantic as the woman's did. It sounded concerned, worried even.

Following the man, the officer stood in the doorway. It was easy to spot who was shouting, seeing a very tall and thin woman standing at the doorway to the main office. Her hands balled into fists, her freckled face red from yelling, her hair a scattered mess inside of its pony tail, but he wasn't sure if that was her usual style or from the rain outside.

"No! I did not drive one hundred fucking miles to be turned away at the god damn door! I want to see them!"

"Miss, calm down." Marlow was trying to calm the young woman down, but she was already livid. This had nothing to do with him.

"Stop it! You're gonna get us in trouble!"

She wasn't alone. Behind her stood a group of young adults. Two men and two other woman.

The woman who told her to stop was shorter, but still tall by his standards. Her brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail higher on her head, a worried expression on her face. A man beside her, bald and relatively short, was holding onto the tall woman's arm, seeming to hold her back from doing anything crazy. She seemed to have an upper hand though what with her crazy height.

There was another girl, shorter than Levi was, with her blonde hair pulled up into an odd sort of a bun on the back of her head. She was very quiet for such a tense situation, but she looked really annoyed with the tall girl. The boy beside her, tall, muscular, with hair almost as dark as his own and freckles too match the girls, looked like he was ready to join the smaller boy in holding her back.

"Excuse me," Erwin interrupted. He had height on the tall girl, but she didn't seem deterred by his appearance or arrival at all. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"W-We're looking for the victims in your most recent case." The bald teen explained. "Eren, Armin and Mikasa? Are they here?"

"W-We just want to see them." The brunette beside him said.

"I'm sorry. We cannot allow anyone to see them right now while we're brief-"

"Don't give me that shit!" The tall girl spat once more. "Where the fuck are they?"

"Eren..."

Armin's timid voice brought Levi back into the room. His eyes fell to the blonde, noticing the very far off look in his eyes that were looking down at the floor. He seemed to be focusing on something, like the voices outside of the room. He couldn't see the people, and yet there was some form of recognition on his face, like he knew these voices. Knew these people. He seemed to recognize them just from the tone alone.

"That sounds like Ymir..." He mumbled, looking to his friend with furrowed eyebrows.

"It does..." Mikasa agreed quietly.

Eren nodded his head in agreement before slowly walking forward, passing Levi to look outside the office. He allowed him, noticing the curious look in those green eyes that questioned the voices he heard. Armin and Mikasa were close behind, not ignoring him for a second to be left out.

The older man watched them carefully, sharing a careful glance with Hanji who was staring just as intently. The two of them were watching them, calculating, judging, testing their limits. This was all new territory. Maybe not to them, but to the adults it was.

They knew these people.

"I cannot divulge in that information right now, miss. Now I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Erwin told the teen in his usual, authoritative manner.

"I ain't going anywhere, fucker." Her response was as cold as ice as she stood up to him. Erwin looked about ready to get security on her before Eren stepped out of the room, pulling everyone's attention to himself.

"Ymir," He called out to the girl. Their eyes fell on him, shock quickly evident in their expressions. "You gonna look over here, or are you gonna get yourself arrested?"

The room fell silent, all except for the key's that had been in this persons, Ymir's, hand, fell to the floor. Not a soul in the room dared to move, breathing strained, eyes wide, waiting. Just waiting. It felt like a test. A draw. They were waiting for someone to pull the trigger.

The tension was crushing.

The trigger was pulled when the girl with her brown hair pulled into a pony tail suddenly sobbed, hands coming up to cover her mouth as she shook.

"Oh my god..." She cried. Erwin and everyone else ignored, she ran away from the group and darted towards the teens, running past desks and office chairs to run into Eren's arms, which had been open and waiting.

This was something quite interesting to see from him. He was so startled by human interaction, so fearful of anyone that wasn't in his close, personal circle, but this girl must have been close to him to allow her a hug so quickly. She must have meant something judging by her breakdown. She must have meant something by the way Eren held her close, his head falling to sit on hers.

"Hey Sasha..." He greeted quietly.

"Oh my god, Eren! Y-You're alive...!" She cried into his chest, her hands fisting into his shirt. "Holy s-shit you're alive..."

One by one, the teens each ran towards them. Sasha had gone from hugging Eren to falling into Mikasa's arms, bawling wretchedly against her. The bald teen, the girl with the blonde bun, the tall teen and the freckled one all came up to them, teary eyed, breathless, _speechless_. The one clinging to Mikasa seemed to be the only one who could speak a full sentence, but it was hard to understand her. It was something that had to do with them being alive. That was all Levi could translate from her broken tone.

There were hushed whispers. The three teens were trying to calm down the others, who all seemed so emotional. It was hard to imagine calming them down anytime soon, but they tried.

It was impressive. Interesting. He'd never seen the three of them like this.

"It's alright, guys. Please don't cry…" Armin pleaded, finding himself in a hug with the short, blonde girl.

"The fuck are you talking about?" Ymir questioned him, seemingly angry, but she couldn't have been. What did he do wrong? "We just… You've been dead for four years. We just got you back."

"You can't expect us not to be a little emotional…" The girl within Armin's arms pulled back, wiping at her cheeks. She seemed ashamed of her tears, like being caught crying was a weakness to her.

"No Annie. Not you too." The freckled boy said, sniffling as he waited for his turn.

"Fuck, if you're going to do that, what's the point of me holding back?" Ymir asked, trying to keep a steady tone.

"Please don't." Eren pleaded with them, giving the bald teen one last squeeze before hugging the freckled brunette. "I can't stand to see you guys so upset."

"We're just… We're just happy…" Sasha's sniffling had decreased, but it was hard to make out what she said past her broken sobs.

"You have no idea…" Annie sighed heavily, her body shuddering as relief fluttered over her body.

"I think I can make a guess…" Mikasa mumbled, her hand lightly rubbing Sasha's head. She wanted nothing more than to hug each and every one of them, but the teen wrapped around her was hard to shake. She wouldn't do it though. Sasha did nothing wrong to be shaken off and tossed aside.

Erwin walked up from behind them, eyeing them suspiciously, but the Captain looked over to him with a pointed glance. He shook his head lightly, waving his hand to tell the taller man that it was okay. _They_ were okay. His service wasn't needed.

"Hey, Eren…" He spoke up, making the teen look at him. Levi motioned over to the alcove with his head, his free hand pointing to some spare chairs at desks no longer used. "How about you grab some chairs and go sit over there? It's probably a bit more private…"

Well, not entirely so. He'd be watching them like a hawk.

* * *

Thirty minutes went by. If he were being extremely specific, it'd been thirty three minutes and forty two seconds, but he wasn't going to be that person.

He'd sat at his desk, pretending to do paperwork, but in actuality, he'd been listening in on the group of teenagers nearby. Eren, Armin and Mikasa were probably aware he was doing it, but they didn't complain. No complaints were made at all as they all talked, catching up with one another after years of separation.

He had an idea of how the teens felt. He had thought for three years that his niece had died in a fire, only to find out she was alive, and a prostitute of all things. That was overwhelming for him, so he had an idea of what _they_ were going through.

They were happy though. Them and his kids. Hearing them laugh after months of torture was music to his own ears, hearing them chat and talk like nothing had ever happened. Like the past three to four years were years that never existed in their lives. He was glad to see this come from them, and while he wasn't sure how he felt about these new people, only having just met them, he was thankful they came along.

"So where's Bertholdt and Reiner?" Armin asked them, leaning his head into Eren's shoulder.

"Yeah, why didn't they come with you guys?" Eren followed with.

"We really tried to get a day where we all had off, or just something we could take off from work and all, but Reiner and Bertholdt have iron clad schedules. They can't get out of those." The bald one that the Captain now knew as Connie explained.

"What are they doing for work?" Mikasa questioned.

"Contracting. They've got a bid on one site and one job working about an hour outside of town. They've got their hands full." Levi found out that the taller, freckled man was called Marco, too kind for his own good, but kind to his kids, and that's all he cared for.

"Yikes. I can't imagine working that much." Armin mumbled, more to himself than the others. "What about you guys?"

"I'm a waitress at an old pub." Annie told them. "Shit hours, but the tips make up for it."

"I hope you're doing okay there. Like, no one is messing with you, right?" Eren asked her with concern.

"Please. Anyone mess with Annie?" Ymir pointed her thumb to the blonde, a frown on her lips. Said girl looked towards her with a very cold expression, making the teen throw her hands up in the air, as if in defeat.

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." She smiled softly, as if she wasn't really fazed by the comment. She seemed very apathetic, but Levi knew otherwise from the display he saw a while ago.

"During the weekdays, I'm a cafeteria lady at our old high school, but on the weekends, Connie and I run a little daycare at our apartment."

" _Our_ apartment, she said." Eren mused, pushing into Armin's side.

"Yeah, I heard _our_." Armin joined in on the playful banter.

"Oh stop." Connie groaned, rolling his eyes.

"It's not like we all didn't know it was going to happen anyway." Ymir joked. "You've been together since like, what, tenth grade?"

" _Ninth_ _grade_ , miss… Uh…" Sasha had tried to think of something to insult the teen with, but trying to insult her was like trying to catch lightening in a bottle. It just didn't happen.

"Mhm? Mhm…? What was that? I can't hear you over the sound of my ego." Ymir retorted. The group of teens laughed, truly amused by their playful chatter.

It really had felt like nothing had changed, and yet everything had. Four years was a lot of time, and a lot could change in four years. Sasha and Connie living together, all of them working, moving on with their lives.

There was a seldom and reoccurring thought through their heads. All of them silently thinking the same things. They were all stuck so far in the past, and yet their friends had moved on. They'd grown up, gotten out, gotten jobs, and lived.

They _lived_.

"At least Marco's got a nice job." Ymir said, motioning back to him. "Your kids bothering you yet?"

"No. They're all wonderful children." Marco replied, a warm smile on his face.

"What are you doing?" Eren asked.

"I'm a substitute teacher at our old school." The freckled teen answered. "My six grade class is missing their teacher. She's out on maternity leave, so it's just been us."

"Oh but who doesn't love Marco?" Connie elbowed his side lightly with a grin.

"What about you, Ymir…? Armin had asked the girl sitting in front of them.

"I'm doing lots of odd jobs right now. Whatever I can pick up really." She explained. "Babysitting, waitress, lab rat for the psychology students at my college. Whatever gets me paid really"

"I'm sure it's fun getting to experience all of that." Armin tried to reason with her.

"Yeah, but recently I've been looking for something a bit more steady. I'm trying to kind of clean myself up." She admitted.

"Clean yourself up?" Mikasa asked with a frown. "Did you… Start on drugs or something?"

"No. I just…" There was a tense silence that fell over them. The teens shared looks, as if they all knew what this was about, and probably did. It was only the three of them that had no idea what this was about. "… After I lost Christa, and when we lost all five of you, I kind of fell apart. I mean, the police said you were dead, but we never knew with Christa and Jean. We never knew what happened to them."

Ymir looked over her shoulder at Marco, her narrow eyes looking at him, as if silently asking him if this was okay. Opening up old wounds that never had time to heal was never easy.

"I did a lot of stupid things when I lost Christa. Like, really stupid things. Got mixed up with the wrong people, drank a lot. I got kicked out of my parents place after I turned seventeen. It's been pretty bad, but I've been working to pick myself back up."

"You'd be proud of her…" Marco mumbled, his shoulders ever so slightly shrugging. "She's come a long way."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Ymir…" Eren spoke softly.

He'd never taken Ymir as a weak or breakable kind of person, but the emotion in her eyes, the broken tone of her voice, her slack body posture, and the small clench of her hands together spoke something different. She wasn't a weak person, but the brunette had never seen her so fragile before. On the cusp of falling apart, which she'd already done.

This was her piecing herself back together. She'd already broken, but it wouldn't take much to push her over the edge again.

"I-I'm sorry, Ymir…" Armin's voice shook, stutter evident as he straightened his posture. "About Christa, I mean. Like, w-with what happened, I just…"

"You better not be apologizing for what I think you are." The teen's voice was deeper as she spoke, more stern. Her lips pulled into a deep frown, eyebrows furrowed, and eyes narrowed at the small blonde.

"B-But I'm sorry-"

"Hey, you listen, you little shit." Ymir stood from her chair, a finger pointed towards him in warning. Levi saw the action and heard the hiss in her voice, quickly standing. She was a hotwire of a teen; that was for sure. "That shit that happened? It had nothing to do with you guys."

"It had everything to do with us." The blonde argued as he stood.

Once again, Armin's actions were surprising. He was more confident towards these people than he was with strangers.

"Yeah, it did, but you had no say in it. No choice. You didn't put Christa and Jean in that fire, and you know it." Ymir very nearly grabbed the front of Armin's shirt before Eren stood up and pulled him back, keeping distance between the two. "And god damn it, don't you dare apologize for something we just got back."

Even though he should have stepped in and stopped them, Levi stood back. This conversation was taking and interesting turn, and he couldn't help watching how things unfolded.

There was a pause within the group. A very morbid, tense pause. Clearly they were thinking those words through, but his kids couldn't make sense of them.

"Four years ago, we lost five friends. Police told us three of them died in a house fire, and after a year, they gave up on finding Christa and Jean. We fell apart without you guys, but a month ago, Connie happened to be watching the news, and we got a fucking miracle. Turns out our friends were alive this whole time, living a shit life, yeah, but _alive_ , and sure, hearing about what happened to my girlfriend, a-and to Jean…" She stopped, swallowing, her eyes tearing up. "It's opened up old wounds, but I don't have to wake up in the morning wondering where the hell she went and never knowing why she didn't come back to me. Christa's parents can finally give her a proper goodbye…"

It seemed her sudden outburst didn't attract just his attention. Others in the office, having been farther away or passing by, tried hard not to listen in, but Levi saw the eyes slowly drifting towards them.

"Jean's family can finally say goodbye to him. They can finally move on. _We_ can finally move on. This is more than I thought I'd ever ask for, and don't you dare downgrade yourself. You three were just as important to us as Christa and Jean were. We were like a team, weren't we?"

Ymir's words were strong, empowering, but withering away their resolves. They all knew that none of them, not a single one of them, were mentally capable of keeping themselves together at this point. The dam had broken a long time ago.

"S-So… God damn it, don't think so lowly of yourself. Hearing that you're alive meant more to us than you'll ever know, and getting the answers we needed… This is enough for us…"

Armin fell apart then. He'd been trying to keep himself together, but he couldn't do it. After trying so hard, tears poured from his eyes, his cheeks, nose, and eyes red. His breathing became labored as he cried, ready to fall into Eren's arms, from force of habit it seemed, before Ymir yanked him right into her chest.

The sight alone did it in for everyone else. Levi was kind enough to turn his head away, to give them the privacy they desperately needed, but he was surprised to see it wasn't just them.

There wasn't a dry eye in the office.

* * *

He was glad when things had calmed down.

Tensions had been high, but the outright sob fest that had happened relaxed so much. He saw the whole group of them smiling, sharing joke, laughing; when was the last time any of them had laughed that hard? Mikasa was laughing so hard she had to wipe tears from her eyes, and Armin was just about there himself.

They were making jokes about their times together in middle school. Crack jokes about pranks Eren, Connie, and the two that Levi hadn't met yet, Reiner and Bertholdt, would pull on their teachers. Apparently Eren was devious enough to put a thumbtack on his most hated teacher's chair. Connie and Jean snuck into the girl's bathrooms (On multiple occasions) to read the writing on the wall and find out who liked who. They'd sneak out at night, all but kidnapping Armin so they could hang out at an old construction site where they built a little fort.

Also on one occasion the police did find them and take them home.

The girl's didn't have those kinds of stories, but they definitely had some. It wasn't just the boys who snuck into the opposite gender's bathrooms. The girls were never caught, but they left fake girl's numbers on the bathroom walls, so when someone would call it, it was a rejection line.

Levi couldn't help chuckling when he heard Eren suddenly yell _"So that was you!"_ While pointing at his sister. Connie and Marco both were equally just as shocked, and Armin? He wasn't surprised, which meant he either figured it out on his own or was told a long time ago.

It sounded like all of the reminiscing was good for them. It got their minds off of everything, especially the whole situation with the court. It was a breath of fresh air and normality that they needed right now.

He had work to do. He really did, but he couldn't stop listening in on their conversations, especially when Eren wrapped his arm around Armin. It was a normal thing for them, but apparently, not as much for their friends.

"Ooh," Connie mused, eyebrows wiggling as he leaned forward to push at Eren's knee. "I see you two are still all nice and cozy with each other."

"Shut up…" Eren rolled his eyes, but he didn't take anything by it. The two of them had just started dating before they disappeared. It was probably old news in a way, and yet a slight relief for them to know that not much had changed between the three of them.

Or Connie just wanted to tease him. He and Jean had always loved to do that.

"You know I can't resist. You remember that we all placed bets on when you two would get together?" He asked of the brunette.

"Yes, and I remember Mikasa had won that bet."

"You never did pay me." She mumbled, a small smile dancing on her lips as she looked over to Annie.

"You aren't going to hold that over my head after five and a half years, are you?" The blonde asked her, eyebrows raised in mock surprise.

"Yes," Eren's sister answered quite simply.

"I can hear Jean's voice now. _'I knew you two were gross with each other.'_ I always hated how he liked to point those things out." Eren's attempt at faking Jean's voice brought a smile to the group.

There was a small, collected chuckled from all of them. They all knew it to be true, but the bitter realization that they'd never hear it again was hard on all of them.

"Christa loved that we were together though." Armin mumbled. "She always wanted us to go on a double date with the two of you."

"That girl sure had a fairy tale playing around in her head." Annie said, not as an insult, but the truth. Christa used to be so honest and pure. No one could be sad around her.

"She just had a way about her."

"And Jean had a way about pissing me off." Eren interrupted, trying to keep the group of teens from falling back into a morbid conversation.

"He only ever did that to get a rise out of you." Marco explained.

"Well it worked." He grumbled.

"Oh please. You two were still friends and you know it." Sasha insisted.

"Well yeah, but just because we were doesn't mean he wasn't a dick."

"Eren," Armin sighed, trying to sound more disappointed than he was, but he wasn't. The two of them were hotheads, and in a way, Armin and Marco had the same problems to deal with. They were what kept Eren and Jean under control. So Marco didn't take any offense by it when he made those comments, because he'd been in that same position before.

A small silence settled over them. A small, content silence. A lingering tension, but relaxed. It was easy to feel at ease all of a sudden, but none of them could place why.

It had to break eventually though. They all knew it. There was still a question that lingered in the air, on the tips of their tongues. They knew sooner or later it would come up. It was just a matter of time, and it happened to be now.

"So…" Connie mumbled, eyes shifting from the floor and to the three of them. "Well, for the past month I followed on the case and stuff, you know, so I kind of know the details and what not…"

It didn't take a college degree to understand that he was saying he knew Eren had the captain had slept together. He just wasn't going to put it into words.

"You've heard our whole terrible story…" Mikasa mumbled.

"Well yeah, but like… In terms of the case… And if you can't talk about this, that's cool, it's just… Is it still happening?" He bridged the conversation with hesitation. He wasn't sure if he was allowed to ask this question, or what they were able to answer, but it would be good to figure it out. His fear was simply bordering a topic they may have not wanted to discuss.

"Well… The next date is set next week to determine if it's been deemed a mistrial, but…" Armin's eyes flickered over to Eren.

He was still the problem.

"Whether it still goes on or not, I'm not going." He told them, looking down at the gray colored floor, to his and Armin's linked hands.

"Y-You're not?" Sasha seemed just as hesitant to speak.

They may have been their friends, but the teens they knew nearly four years ago weren't the same. What they had been through made them different, suspect, and anxious. They had to go about talking with them just as they were.

Victims.

"No, I'm not." Eren said.

"S-So what happens to the case then?" Marco asked.

"What happens if they don't make it a mistrial?" Annie followed up with.

"I don't know and I don't care." The brunette stated. "I'm not going back."

"So that's it then?" Ymir asked, her voice suddenly dark, heavy, tension practically dripping off of her. "You're just giving up?"

To that, Eren didn't have an answer. His lips pulled into a tight frown as he turned his head, as if that were his silent way of answering her.

He wasn't going. He wasn't going back to that place. He wasn't going to face Grisha in court, no matter what the results were. He'd already fought this with everyone else, and he wasn't about to start up again.

"The fuck is your problem, Eren?" Ymir suddenly stood up from her chair.

"Ymir, don't." Annie warned her.

"Who the hell is sitting in front of me right now? Because this sure as hell ain't Eren Jaeger. The Eren I know wouldn't give up like this. He wouldn't turn a blind eye to something so serious."

"You don't get it." Eren muttered.

"You're right about that. I definitely don't understand how you can be so fucking selfish!"

"Ymir, that's enough." Annie stood up and place a hand on her arm, trying to push her back, but the taller teen swatted her away.

Armin looked over to Levi, shooting him a grim look. A silent plea to come over and help. Things were getting out of their control.

"Back off, Ymir." Mikasa warned, she herself standing up and getting in between Eren and her.

"No, I won't back off!" The teen barked. "You're just going to sit there on the side lines waiting for someone else to take control of you? You're just going to ignore the fact that Jean and Christa are dead because of that man?"

"Ymir, please-" Armin began, but Eren spoke up before he could.

"You don't understand!" He yelled.

"I understand that you're being a little bitch and giving up! I understand that you aren't even thinking about Jean or Christa! You aren't even thinking about letting them rest in peace by putting that fucker behind bars!"

"That's enough!" Levi yelled over them, getting in between them. By this point, Marco had his hands wrapped around the teen's waist, holding her back. If he didn't, he wasn't entirely sure what the girl would do to Eren, and they weren't about to find out.

"It's not just you that's involved in this! It's everyone around you, and you're forgetting everyone, including my girlfriend and Jean, and you're just being selfish by giving up! You're pathetic, Eren!"

"Lower your voice, or I'll have you removed from this office." Levi warned her with a hard glance and pointed finger. It was no threat to her, already someone who'd seen and feared the worst, but he felt the need to make it obvious. Maybe her friends could somehow convince her to calm down.

"Ymir, please stop," Sasha pleaded with her just before Eren suddenly took off running.

"Eren-!" Armin called after him.

"I'll go get him." Levi told him. "You stay here and calm her down."

The blonde nodded his head, feeling helpless as the man suddenly left them.

He turned to look down the hall when he got there, seeing Eren falling against the wall and sliding to the floor, his hands bawling into fists over his eyes.

He was crying. It was obvious, and yet the officer was somehow taken aback by it. He'd been so happy just ten minutes before, but now he was in pain. Regretting. Suffering.

Why was the world so cruel to him? Even Levi knew Ymir hadn't meant what she said. It was all said out of fear and anger, but she really didn't mean anything by it. However, did Eren know that? Was he cognizant enough to understand she was just upset with the whole situation, and not just him?

"Eren…" Levi spoke his name in a gentle manner as he came up behind him, slowly getting down to his knees. "Hey, come here…"

He held out his arm, the only arm he could, but it was a safe invitation that Eren quickly accepted. He jumped into his embrace, knocking the man over onto his butt while he wrapped his arms around him. He held him tightly, fearing that if he let go, he'd lose him. He couldn't lose him though. He just couldn't. He didn't think he could handle it if he lost him.

"Shh, shh… It's alright, Eren." Levi whispered, rubbing the back of his head with just the lightest scratch of his nails.

"I-I'm sorry…" Eren cried into his shoulder, his tears having long since drenched his shirt.

"No apologies, Eren." Levi told him. "I don't need them. I just need you to breathe for me."

"I can't do it, Levi! I can't do it anymore!"

"Yes you can, Eren. Just one step at a time, and what I want you to do is breathe." Levi began a slow rocking motion, trying to find some way to calm the sobbing teen. He seemed to be at his limit though, and thinking that this had been the last straw for Eren was morbidly worrying for the officer.

He hated to think that this was it. He hated thinking that what Ymir had said had pushed him over the edge, because what would happen if that was the case? Maria's? Was Eren no longer safe by himself?

He didn't want to think this. He couldn't, because that meant truly giving up. It'd be a final nail in the coffin for whatever shred of case they had left, because no one would listen to a child whose mental stability was questioned.

It couldn't be over.

"It's going to be alright…" He whispered once more, his lips against the shell of his ear. "I've got you."

Making promises where they weren't needed wasn't going to help Eren at all, but he didn't know what else to do to make him feel better.

"I-I'll do it…" Eren whimpered, rubbing the heels of his palms into his eyes.

"What?"

"I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll go back to court! Just no more!" He cried, his breathing heavy.

Levi frowned, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he continued to rub his head.

Eren was agreeing to go back, but did he really understand? He was begging for no more, but that was exactly what he'd be getting if he went back.

Maybe his mental stability should have been questioned, but he wasn't going to ask. He couldn't push him anymore without running the risk of hurting him anymore than he already was.

So instead, he remained silent, his hand continuing to rub at the back of his head. Eren's hair had gotten really long at this point, and as he combed through it, pulling on little tangles and snags, he felt some of it slip within his grasp.

He pulled his hand back, watching the hair come with it. It wasn't much, but it was more than the usual amount of hair loss. Eren hadn't flinched, like he hadn't seemed too noticed or feel it either, which meant it was falling out on its own.

He was so stressed that his hair was falling out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ymir's character development in this chapter really makes me anxious, because I want her to come across as a broken soul who isn't very good at talking or expressing herself, but not come across as an ass. Her story and what she tells is very crucial in the story to getting the kids to work with the station, but at the same time, she doesn't do a good job of going about it nicely. Hopefully I made it seem that way. ^^'

**Author's Note:**

> Please review to let me know what you think! ^^


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